Abstract:
This article examines the creation of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), a new international organization led by India and backed primarily by developing countries. Official documents and wide-ranging interviews offer insights into the treaty-making process. Using a political economy approach to the study of international law, the article analyzes politico-legal issues associated with the creation of the ISA. The legal form of the ISA is best described as ‘soft law in a hard shell’: it uses the legal infrastructure of a treaty while relying on the social structure of participating actors for its future implementation. Empirical evidence suggests that three factors explain the treaty structure of the ISA: India’s leadership role in the treaty-making process, the early involvement of non-state actors, and the preference of developing countries for legal form. Ultimately, the case illustrates India’s shift towards a leadership role in climate change governance, and the steady emergence of non-state actors in driving climate action.
Post description:
- Publication year: 2021
- Content type: Journal article
- Form of cooperation: Comprehensive
- Cooperation context: Multilateral
- Region (country): Developing countries
- Sector: Energy, Environment
- Institution (publication): Transnational Environmental Law
- Written by: Vyoma Jha
- Keywords: Climate change, solar energy, International Solar Alliance, Treaty making, Political economy, India
- Link: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/transnational-environmental-law/article/soft-law-in-a-hard-shell-india-international-rulemaking-and-the-international-solar-alliance/9154D6AC033F6A028A00177F3826D509