Scientific diplomacy and systemic reconfiguration : Brics in the governance of marina, polar, and climate global commons

Abstract

This article analyzes the role of BRICS in the governance of marine, polar, and climate global commons amid a context of systemic transition, marked by global environmental crises and normative disputes within multilateral institutions. Grounded in the relational theory of international relations (Yaqing Qin) and the concept of planetary infrastructures, the article argues that BRICS is consolidating an emerging architecture of environmental governance, based on scientific diplomacy, cooperative data production, and climate justice. The analysis draws on an original comparative matrix that maps the level of adhesion and engagement of BRICS countries in major multilateral regimes, such as the Antarctic Treaty, Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Madrid Protocol, and the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). The findings reveal that the group is expanding its normative capacity within these regimes while building epistemic convergence around a shared horizon of planetary responsibility. In this context, BRICS contributes meaningfully to the realization of the principle of a “community of shared future for humankind” (renlei mingyun gongtongti – 人类命运共同体), rooted in systemic interdependence, global equity, and the co-production of sustainable solutions among global South actors.