Channels, Fall 2018

Page 102 Thompson • Seeing Green Safety, will typically set additional health and environmental regulations to which NOCs can adhere. In addition to the UNFCCC the Washington Consensus between Latin and South American states resulted in shifting relations between states and oil companies through global interactions. Although the name may be misleading, the consensus centered on reforms that many states in Latin America were jointly enacting, such as the privatization of state- owned enterprises. This type of intergovernmental cooperation was largely based on neoliberal policies and was representative of a larger global trend seen through the Reagan and Thatcher administrations (Kuczynski & Williamson, 2003). As mentioned earlier, another ideological framework, the conditionalist approach of economic statecraft, utilizes the local government to determine foreign policy. Brazil has used its massive energy base of both natural gas and biofuels to encourage other states, especially developing states in Africa, to develop their own biofuel programs. Yet this distinction of using energy resources at the international level has faced limited success, due to the wrong international context for promoting economic growth and sustainable development in developing states (Dalgaard, 2012). One also sees such international relations determining the viability of energy resources with Russia’s Gazprom. Sanctions imposed by the West against Russia have led to a drop in Russian oil prices and have influenced its policy (Koďousková and Jirušek, 2016). Viola and Franchini compare the various levels of analysis as stated above and ultimately reach the conclusion that the primary influence of determining the climate agenda is the local state policy. They note the weakening of the UNFCCC in recent years and the subjection of NOCs to a growing moderate force in the government, which is open to addressing the topic of environmental sustainability (Viola and Franchini, 2013). In addition, Aguiar and Friere (2017) recognize the importance of such a relationship and seek to understand how state-owned organizations can act “as a facilitator of the implementation of governmental policies.” After an analysis of each level of influence and the corresponding interactions between the individual private stakeholder, the local government and international body, it appears the state government holds a significant role in determining the environmental sustainability policies of NOCs. This literature review does not seek to discount the important influences of other actors, but instead delve into a detailed examination and comparison between the governments of Brazil and Russia and their corresponding influence of their NOCs concern for the environment. Methodology I seek to answer the research question: How does the relation between the Brazilian and Russian Federation state governments and the National Oil Companies (NOCs) affect sustainable development of the preservation of the environment? My thesis adheres that the protection of the natural environment holds a position of lesser importance to more predominant state goals of energy independence and foreign policy agendas. Specifically, Petrobras has recently increased in its efforts at environmental preservation in line with its biofuel production and as a means of transmitting and legitimizing its foreign policy