THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS AND THE LIMITS OF LIBERALISM IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: CASE STUDIES OF BELO MONTE AND THE NGO COOL EARTH

Abstract

The global environmental crisis has been driven by economic models grounded in the unlimited expansion of production and consumption, particularly those informed by the principles of economic liberalism. In the field of International Relations, this paradigm shapes both environmental governance and the strategies adopted by states and transnational actors in response to ecological emergencies. This study aims to analyze the influence of liberal thought on the contemporary environmental crisis, focusing on how its premises shape institutional practices and conservation initiatives at the global level. The research adopts a qualitative approach, using bibliographic and documentary review for data collection and comparative analysis of two case studies: (1) the construction of the Belo Monte hydroelectric plant in Brazil, as an example of developmentalist state intervention; and (2) the operations of the British NGO Cool Earth in the Amazon, representing a conservation logic based on private property. The results indicate that, although situated in different contexts, both cases reveal structural limitations of the liberal paradigm in addressing socio-environmental challenges—either through the subordination of ecological rights to economic growth or through the commodification of nature. It is concluded that, for more effective and just environmental governance, it is necessary to overcome the limits of classical liberalism and incorporate principles of environmental justice and ecological boundaries.