This paper examines the impact of the global institutional frameworks on the national processes of innovation diffusion. In particular, we focus on the role of the Kyoto mechanisms on the diffusion of renewable energy technologies in the BRICS countries i.e. Brazil, China India, Russia and South Africa. Our preliminary analysis suggests that the Kyoto Mechanisms may support the diffusion of some simple, low cost and mature technologies which are already diffused in the host countries, rather than the diffusion of new renewable energy technologies. This observation raises questions about the extent to which the Kyoto Mechanisms at its present state create major incentives for the national efforts for the diffusion of new renewable energy technologies in the BRICS. We also observe that higher education, some natural resource endowments, national policy capabilities and culture instead seem important influences on the diffusion of renewable technologies. Contrarily, economic and social development, existing technological capabilities, and internationalisation of national business appear to be associated with further reliance on fossils energy resources and seem to hold back the diffusion of renewable technologies. We analyse these issues theoretically as well as empirically making use of national aggregated data from the World Development Indicators, the International Energy Agency, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and secondary sources.