The book assesses emerging powers’ influence on international economic law and analyses whether their rhetoric of reforming this ‘unjust’ order translates into concrete reforms. The questions at the heart of the book surround the extent to which Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa individually and as a bloc (BRICS) provide alternative regulatory ideas to those of ‘Western’ States and whether they are able to convert their increased power into influence on global regulation. To do so, the book investigates two broader case studies, namely, the reform of international investment agreements and WTO reform negotiations since the start of the Doha Development Round. As a general outcome, it finds that emerging powers do not radically challenge established law. ‘Third World’ rhetoric mostly does not translate into practice and rather serves to veil economic interests. Still, emerging powers provide for some alternative regulatory ideas, already leading to a diversification of international economic law. As a general rule, they tend to support norms that allow host States much policy space which could be used to protect and fulfil socio-economic human rights, especially – but not only – in the Global South.

Eine Million Arten sind in den nächsten Jahren vom Aussterben bedroht. Immer wieder bekräftigen die Vereinten Nationen und Regierungen, die Biodiversität schützen zu wollen. Doch die politischen Ziele werden immer wieder verfehlt. Kann der Schutz der Biodiversität juristisch erzwungen werden? Dazu wurde schon vor Jahrzehnten die Idee eines Klagerechtes für Tiere und Ökosysteme entwickelt. Auch aktuell fordern NGOs und Jurist:innen das Konzept der »Natur als Rechtsperson«. Ist eine solche Weiterentwicklung des Rechts möglich und kann sie Biodiversität schützen? Die Autorinnen und Autoren führen Einsichten aus Ethik, Biologie, den Sozial- und Rechtswissenschaften zusammen: Wie kann man Rechte der Natur begründen? Wie sehen sozialökologische Beispiele aus, in denen Biodiversität und menschliche Ressourcennutzung nicht in Konkurrenz zueinander treten? Was wären die gesellschaftlichen Konsequenzen, wenn Rechte der Natur anerkannt würden? https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode

The Law of International Investment Protection is currently in a time of contestation and transition. States all over the world have revised, or are in the process of revising their in-vestment protection policies and international treaties. Among diverse approaches, several States from the Global South have taken radical stances against the international investment regime, in line with earlier approaches by newly independent States. At the same time, some former developing States are transitioning from being mainly capital importers towards be-coming important capital exporters increasingly wary of protecting investments of their citizens and state-owned companies abroad. In this context, the paper seeks to explore how BRICS have positioned themselves within the debate of recalibrating bilateral investment treaties. Beginning with a short analysis of BRICS common statements related to investment protection, the paper will describe in more detail how treaty practice and Model BITs of Brazil, India and China balance investors' rights with a State's right to regulate.