India Hosts 12th BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi

The Government of India hosted the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting and the BRICS Senior Officers' Meeting in New Delhi on August 17-18, 2026. Held at Bharat Mandapam under the theme Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability, the events aimed to transition the BRICS alliance from an economic dialogue into a platform for addressing global warming, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

On August 17, Secretary Tanmay Kumar chaired the Senior Officers' Meeting with representatives from Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. This session served as a precursor to the ministerial meeting, building on technical dialogues conducted between March and July 2026 regarding carbon markets and resource efficiency.

Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav presided over the ministerial meeting on August 18. Minister Yadav called for implementation-oriented environmental action that prioritizes the Global South and integrates traditional knowledge with modern science. The meeting concluded with the adoption of a Joint Ministerial Statement and the launch of four knowledge compendiums detailing member practices in sustainable lifestyles, integrated fire management, landscape-based greening, and circular economy frameworks. These documents establish a network of BRICS research institutions and frameworks for community-based climate resilience.