Sri Vijaya Puram, August 17: India on Monday underscored the growing role of BRICS in addressing climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss and other global environmental challenges, as senior officials from member nations met in New Delhi to strengthen cooperation on sustainable development and climate resilience ahead of the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers’ Meeting.
The BRICS Environment Working Group–Senior Officers’ Meeting was held at Bharat Mandapam and chaired by Tanmay Kumar, Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Representatives from Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates participated in the discussions.
Delivering the keynote address, Kumar said the BRICS partnership has evolved beyond an economic forum into an increasingly significant platform for advancing cooperation on sustainable development, climate resilience and adaptation, resource efficiency, the circular economy and environmental governance.
He said India’s BRICS 2026 Chairship has been guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision that global cooperation should remain people-centric through a humanity-first approach. According to the Chair, this vision is reflected in the Chairship theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability.”
Kumar said India has sought to promote environmental action by integrating ecological sustainability with development objectives. He expressed confidence that the spirit of cooperation, mutual respect and consensus-based decision-making would continue to guide deliberations among member countries.
Participating delegations congratulated India on its leadership of BRICS and acknowledged its efforts in steering discussions on key environmental priorities through a collaborative and consensus-driven approach.
During India’s Chairship, the BRICS Environment Working Group and the Contact Group on Climate Change and Sustainable Development advanced cooperation across four priority areas: promoting sustainable lifestyles; afforestation, forest fire management and disaster resilience; circular economy; and climate adaptation.
According to the Chair, these priorities reflect both the common environmental challenges facing BRICS nations and their collective capacity to respond. He said the member countries recognise that climate resilience, ecosystem restoration, resource efficiency and sustainable development are closely interconnected issues that require integrated rather than isolated policy responses.
The meeting forms part of India’s ongoing BRICS Chairship engagements and precedes the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers’ Meeting, which is scheduled to be held in New Delhi on Tuesday. The ministerial meeting is expected to build on the discussions held by senior officials and further strengthen cooperation among BRICS countries on environmental protection and sustainable development initiatives.
