Today, the dichotomy developed-developing nations feels simplistic and outdated. After all, how can China, India, or Brazil be on the same side of the coin as Namibia, El Salvador, and Bangladesh, for example. Taking China for example, we see a strange example of developing nation: China aimed to eradicate absolute poverty by 2020; it has a strong technology sector, with global companies such as Xiaomi and Huawei, and is the second country in Research & Development investment, just behind the US. Moreover, China has had the world’s greatest growth of the middle class during the last years (although numbers vary depending on the criteria), and if one visits cities such as Shanghai, Beijing or Wuhan, he or she will hardly get the impression of not being in an advanced and developed country. Therefore, the term emerging economies is more frequently used to refer to countries such as those belonging to the BRICS, to reflect its intermediate position between developed and developing nations. Furthermore, some of these countries have already placed themselves as standard-bearers for the developing world. Looking at China as an example, again: regarding the issue of the clean energy technology transfer, they are again a special case. Evidence suggest they receive a constant flow of technologies, and they are also capable of producing and exporting those goods. China, according to the article ‘Trade in clean energy technologies: sliding from protection to protectionism through obligations for technology transfer in climate change law, or Viceversa?’, is one of the largest exporters of renewable energies, especially in Africa. The emergence of these actors in the field could represent a great opportunity regarding clean energy technology transfer to those nations in need. They could serve as amplifiers, as they steadily receive technologies and increase national innovation and production to eventually transfer to other developing nations, with which they may have stronger ties. This could serve their geopolitical and geoeconomics interests, for it could serve as a tool to increase emerging economies influence and soft power. Moreover, as emerging economies play a more active role in international negotiations on environmental protection, they could provide a strong leverage for developing nations to aim for a framework that allowed for improved transfer of clean energy technology, both in its material and technical dimensions.
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