Legal Issues of Energy Transition in the Context of International Instruments on the Promotion of Renewable Energy Sources

Renewable energy sources (hereinafter referred to as RES) are considered by the international community as one of the ways to achieve sustainable development goals (in particular, SDG-7). Increased consumption of renewable energy and government policies stimulating it are often linked in this regard to the concepts of “energy transition” and “industrial revolution” as necessary conditions for achieving the SDGs. The boundaries of such a policy are shaped, among other things, by current international law, which can significantly influence the emerging global energy system. This article analyzes the primary political and legal characteristics of the term “energy transition” to understand the role of international law concerning renewable energy sources in its development. The authors conclude that this role is dualistic. On the one hand, numerous international environmental agreements, regional cooperation mechanisms and “soft aw” instruments reflect a generally positive attitude of the international community towards RES, promoting the current energy transition. All the while, these documents aim to ensure that the promotion of RES projects complies with the fundamental principles of international environmental law to minimize environmental damage. On the other hand, “energy neutral” investment agreements, such as the Energy Charter Treaty, and WTO instruments increase the costs for states and end-users to implement this transition. The authors propose several potential foundations for the international cooperation in the area of RES, which should be based on: minimizing environmental risks, sharing “best practices” for promoting RES, sustainably limiting the consumption of hydrocarbon energy sources, cooperating with a wide range of non-state actors, and eliminating conflicts between sources of international environmental law and sources of international trade and investment law.

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