BRICS Environment Officials Discuss Climate Change and Sustainable Development Priorities in New Delhi
Senior officials from BRICS member countries met in New Delhi on August 17, 2026, to deliberate on key environmental priorities, climate action and sustainable development under India’s BRICS Chairship 2026.
The Senior Officers’ Meeting of the BRICS Environment Working Group and the Contact Group on Climate Change and Sustainable Development was held at Bharat Mandapam. The meeting was chaired by Tanmay Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India.
Delegations from all BRICS member countries participated in the discussions, including Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
In his keynote address, Kumar said BRICS had evolved over the past two decades from an economic dialogue into an increasingly influential platform for addressing major global environmental challenges. These include rising pollution, biodiversity loss and global warming, alongside issues related to sustainable development, climate resilience, adaptation, resource efficiency, circular economy and environmental governance.
He highlighted the broader environmental relevance of BRICS cooperation and said the grouping had an important role in developing collective responses to interconnected global challenges.
India’s BRICS Chairship in 2026 has been guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of people-centric global cooperation and a humanity-first approach. This vision is reflected in India’s Chairship theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability.”
Under this framework, India has sought to promote environmental action that balances ecological sustainability with development priorities.
During the Chairship, the Environment Working Group and the Contact Group on Climate Change and Sustainable Development have advanced cooperation across four interconnected priority areas: promoting sustainable lifestyles; afforestation, forest fire management and disaster resilience; circular economy; and adaptation.
The discussions highlighted the close links between these areas. Climate resilience, ecosystem restoration, efficient resource use and sustainable development cannot be addressed effectively through isolated measures, officials noted. Instead, they require integrated approaches and coordinated action among countries.
The meeting also reflected the extensive consultations undertaken during India’s BRICS Chairship. Since the beginning of the Chairship, member countries have participated in 21 virtual thematic and negotiation meetings, 10 bilateral consultations, two thematic dialogues and two technical webinars.
These discussions provided a platform for member countries to exchange perspectives, identify common priorities and work towards consensus on environmental and climate-related issues. The Senior Officers’ Meeting was expected to consolidate the outcomes of these extensive deliberations and build consensus on the key priorities for BRICS cooperation.
The meeting also underscored the importance of cooperation among BRICS countries in addressing environmental challenges that increasingly transcend national boundaries. Issues such as climate change, biodiversity degradation, forest fires, pollution and resource efficiency have implications for economic growth, livelihoods and long-term development.
Concluding his address, the Chair expressed confidence that the spirit of cooperation, mutual respect and consensus-based decision-making that had characterised the discussions would continue to guide the proceedings.
The participating delegations congratulated India on its leadership as BRICS Chair and appreciated its efforts to bring member countries together through extensive consultations and productive discussions. They also welcomed the consensus-oriented approach adopted during deliberations on the environmental priority areas.
The discussions in New Delhi come ahead of the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers’ Meeting, scheduled to be held in the capital on August 18. The ministerial meeting is expected to take forward the outcomes of the senior officials’ discussions and provide further political direction to BRICS cooperation on environmental protection, climate action and sustainable development.
The 2026 BRICS environmental agenda therefore seeks to strengthen collective action while recognising the diverse developmental priorities of member countries. Through continued dialogue and cooperation, the grouping aims to promote resilience, sustainability and practical solutions to shared environmental challenges.
