Transnational Regulation in electric vehicle value chains between Brazil and China: implications of private environmental standards

• Grant number: 24/15776-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Law
• Principal Investigator: Michelle Ratton Sanchez Badin
• Grantee: Catherine Rebouças Mota
• Host Institution: Escola de Direito de São Paulo. Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 24/09358-0 - National policies as guidelines for foreign investment: an analysis of regulations for Brazil-China economic relations, AP.R

Abstract

This research project analyzes the environmental private standards applied in the production of electric vehicles (EVs), focusing on the extraction and recycling of critical minerals used in batteries. China, with its central role in the global EV value chain, has significantly invested in Brazil, where companies like BYD and Great Wall Motor are expanding their operations. These private standards, as part of transnational private regulation, often compete with each other and with Brazilian public regulations, creating challenges for environmental governance and sustainability in battery production. The research investigates how these transnational interactions shape the environmental governance of EV value chains in Brazil, exploring the convergences and divergences with national legislation and identifying conflicts between private standards. The analysis is conducted through the lens of Transnational Legal Ordering (TLO) theory, which allows for understanding the formation, institutionalization, and impact of transnational norms in different geographical and sectoral contexts. The methodology includes the analysis of private and public documents, interviews with company and association representatives, and the survey of transnational norms, utilizing Atlas.Ti software for data coding and organization. The expected results will contribute to a deeper understanding of transnational regulatory dynamics in the EV sector, promoting sustainable practices aligned with the goals of energy transition.