UNU-WIDER 61d ago

This plenary session from the 2026 WIDER Development Conference examines green industrial transformation in BRICS countries and the wider Global South. Sustained economic growth has historically been linked to structural transformation and rising energy use, often based on fossil fuels. In a net-zero future, the global energy system will look very different, with major implications for development policy, industrial strategy, and the global political economy. The panel explores how countries can build high value-added manufacturing and productive services sectors in a carbon-constrained world. Speakers discuss green industrial policy, employment, inclusive growth, South-South cooperation, and the risks and opportunities facing countries pursuing green transformation. Moderator Prof Arkebe Oqubay | British Academy Global Professor, SOAS University of London; former Minister, Government of Ethiopia Panelists Prof Nagesh Kumar | Director, ISID Prof Imraan Valodia | Pro Vice-Chancellor, Southern Centre for Inequality Studies, University of the Witwatersrand Prof José Puppim Oliveira | Getulio Vargas Foundation and Global Development Institute, University of Manchester Dr Maxensius Tri Sambodo | Principal Researcher, National Research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia Prof Jo Beall | Emeritus Professor and Distinguished Policy Fellow, LSE Cities, London School of Economics and Political Science Recorded at the 2026 WIDER Development Conference, held in New Delhi, India, and co-organized by UNU-WIDER and the Institute for Studies in Industrial Development (ISID). Learn more: https://www.wider.unu.edu/plenary-session/green-industrial-transformation-brics-countries UNU-WIDER: https://www.wider.unu.edu