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New Delhi: India is all set to host the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday under its 2026 BRICS Chairship, with environmental cooperation, climate resilience and sustainable development high on the agenda.
The meeting will be chaired by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav. It will be preceded by meetings of the BRICS Senior Officers’ Meeting of the Environment Working Group and the Contact Group on Climate Change and Sustainable Development.
As per official sources, the discussions will be held under the overarching theme of India’s BRICS Chairship 2026, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
The meeting is expected to provide a platform for BRICS member countries to exchange views, build consensus and strengthen practical cooperation on pressing environmental challenges, the government said.
According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, India has identified key areas for focused engagement under the BRICS Environment Working Group. These include promoting sustainable lifestyles, afforestation, forest fire management and disaster resilience, circular economy, and adaptation. The priorities reflect India’s emphasis on linking environmental protection with sustainable development and climate resilience.
The discussions are also expected to encourage greater sharing of policies, technologies, experiences and best practices among BRICS countries.
The meeting assumes significance as India seeks to use its BRICS Chairship to advance cooperation on issues affecting developing economies, including climate adaptation, ecosystem restoration, resource efficiency and disaster resilience.
The ministerial-level deliberations are expected to build upon ongoing discussions among senior officials and working groups, and to strengthen the environmental agenda of BRICS during India’s 2026 chairship.
On Monday, senior officials from BRICS member countries met at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi for discussions ahead of the ministerial meeting. The meeting was chaired by Environment Ministry Secretary Tanmay Kumar and attended by representatives from Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the UAE.
Kumar said BRICS has evolved over the last two decades from an economic dialogue into a broader platform addressing issues related to sustainable development, climate resilience, adaptation, resource efficiency, the circular economy and environmental governance. “Our partnership has broadened in terms of relevance to sustainable development, climate resilience and adaptation, resource efficiency and circular economy, as well as environmental governance,” he said.
Further, he stated that India’s BRICS 2026 chairship has been guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of keeping global cooperation people-centric and advancing a “humanity-first” approach.
Meanwhile, India has sought to advance environmental action through approaches that integrate ecological sustainability with development objectives, the government said.
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