In a Discussion Paper for the German Development Institute (DIE), Sascha Müller-Kraenner analyses the energy-related foreign policies of China and India, both "anchor countries" with fast-growing economies. Their quest for energy security as well as climate policy have become defining elements of both countries' foreign policies, a fact that the EU and the US must respond to.

Due to high economic growth based on rapid industrialisation the energy consumption of both countries is rising fast and has transformed both countries' foreign policies.  A new "energy foreign policy" which transforms the character of existing geopolitical rivalries is emerging. International institutions and governance structures have to adapt to take into account the growing weight of China, India and other emerging economies. Last but not least, energy security and climate change considerations should be merged into an integrated sustainable energy policy.

This article is part of the Ecologic project "Global Environmental Governance and International Environmental Regimes" funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research under the social-ecological research programme (SOEF).