BRICS Ministers Back People-Centred Climate Action in New Delhi

Yadav identified four priorities for India’s BRICS Chairship: sustainable lifestyles; afforestation, forest fire management and disaster resilience; circular economy; and adaptation.

BRICS environment ministers have agreed to deepen cooperation on climate resilience, forest fires, sustainable lifestyles and ecosystem restoration as their 12th Environment Ministers' Meeting concluded in New Delhi under India's BRICS Chairship 2026.

India's Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav welcomed ministers and heads of delegations from BRICS member countries, placing the environmental concerns of developing economies and the Global South at the heart of the discussions. He said India's chairship follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of redefining BRICS as "Building Resilience and Innovation for Cooperation and Sustainability", shaped around a people-centred approach and the idea of "Humanity First".

The meeting ended with the consensual adoption of a Joint Ministerial Statement and the launch of four knowledge compendiums, giving member countries a set of common areas where research, policy experience and practical solutions can be shared.

India sets out four environmental priorities

Yadav identified four priorities for India's BRICS Chairship: sustainable lifestyles; afforestation, forest fire management and disaster resilience; circular economy; and adaptation. These areas reflect challenges that are becoming increasingly connected as developing countries try to expand their economies while dealing with climate risks, biodiversity loss, pollution and more frequent environmental disasters.

Forest fires received particular attention, with India calling for stronger cooperation covering prevention, preparedness, early-warning systems, emergency response and recovery after fires. Yadav also stressed the need for adequate climate finance and stronger adaptation measures, alongside greater involvement of local communities that often experience environmental damage first-hand.

India presented Mission LiFE and Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam as examples of programmes that connect environmental restoration with public participation. Yadav argued that ecological recovery does not need to come at the expense of human development and said traditional knowledge can work alongside modern science to create solutions suited to local conditions.

He also referred to India's new Nationally Determined Contribution for 2031-2035 as part of the country's climate plans, linking stronger climate action with inclusive development and energy security.

BRICS agrees on common frameworks for cooperation

The Joint Ministerial Statement includes four outcome documents covering practical areas where BRICS countries can work together. One establishes terms of reference for a network of BRICS institutions focused on knowledge sharing, research and innovation around sustainable lifestyles.

Members also adopted principles for integrated landscape management, with attention to desertification, sustainable land use and ecosystem resilience. A common understanding on forest fire preparedness and response creates another area for countries to exchange expertise, while principles for advancing climate resilience place community-based adaptation and traditional knowledge at the centre of local climate responses.

Yadav said cooperation needs to move beyond discussions and develop into collective capability through technical exchanges, training, research networks, technology cooperation and stronger links between institutions across BRICS countries.

Such collaboration could be particularly important for developing economies where communities face immediate climate pressures while governments must also address jobs, infrastructure, energy access and broader development needs.

Traditional knowledge joins modern climate solutions

Panel discussions during the meeting explored how community experience can become a stronger part of climate policy. A high-level dialogue on climate change focused on people-centred and community-based adaptation, examining ways to combine traditional practices with science, technology and innovation.

Another session examined integrated landscape-based greening and allowed BRICS countries to share experiences in restoring degraded landscapes while supporting sustainable development. The discussions reflected India's wider message that environmental programmes are more likely to endure when communities participate in designing and implementing them.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change also created an interactive Mission LiFE pavilion where delegates could explore India's sustainable lifestyle initiatives through digital experiences and gaming technologies. Cultural performances by Indian artists accompanied the two-day programme, giving visiting delegations a broader introduction to Indian traditions alongside the policy discussions.

With the ministerial statement and four outcome documents now adopted, attention shifts to how BRICS countries translate these commitments into practical cooperation, particularly in areas where shared knowledge, technology and community participation can strengthen their response to growing environmental risks.