Bhupender Yadav welcomes BRICS environment ministers; seeks stronger ties

New Delhi [India], August 18 : Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday welcomed ministers and delegates from BRICS member countries for the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi, as India seeks to strengthen environmental cooperation under its 2026 BRICS Chairship.
In a post on X, Yadav said, "Under the #IndiaBRICSChairship, welcomed Hon'ble Ministers and delegates from BRICS Member Countries during the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting."
https://x.com/byadavbjp/status/2089595247101935982
He added, "We look forward to further strengthening cooperation and engage in a meaningful manner for positive outcomes for the Environment Working Group."
The two-day BRICS environment engagements began on Monday with the Senior Officers' Meeting of the BRICS Environment Working Group and Contact Group on Climate Change and Sustainable Development, followed by the ministerial-level meeting on Tuesday.
The meeting is being held under the overarching theme of India's BRICS Chairship 2026, "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability".
According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the meeting provides a platform for ministers, senior officers, policymakers and experts from BRICS member countries to engage in substantive discussions, foster consensus and strengthen environmental cooperation.
India has identified four priority areas for focused engagement under the BRICS Environment Working Group: promoting sustainable lifestyles; afforestation, forest fire management and disaster resilience; circular economy; and climate adaptation.
The sustainable lifestyles priority focuses on promoting mindful consumption and community practices while encouraging collaboration and knowledge-sharing among BRICS countries.
The second priority seeks to strengthen land restoration, forest fire prevention and preparedness, early detection and rapid response, along with capacity building, advanced data collection and monitoring.
Under the circular economy priority, BRICS countries are focusing on effective waste management, Extended Producer Responsibility policy frameworks and regulatory approaches to improve resource-use efficiency and support circular economy transitions.
The fourth priority focuses on climate adaptation through people-centric and community-led approaches, including the use of traditional knowledge, with an emphasis on knowledge exchange, best practices and policy outcomes to strengthen climate resilience.
The Environment Ministry said India had conducted a series of virtual meetings, technical sessions, webinars and dialogues between March and July as part of its BRICS 2026 Chairship.
These included dialogues on BRICS Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy and aligning carbon markets with adaptation goals, as well as webinars on land degradation, desertification and drought and integrated approaches to wildfire management for disaster resilience.
The consultations were aimed at building consensus and setting the context for the in-person deliberations in New Delhi on August 17-18.
The BRICS Environment Working Group (EWG) was established in 2015 during the first BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting in Moscow. It was envisioned as a platform for BRICS to address fundamental environmental priorities, exchange experiences, share best practices and strengthen collective action amongst BRICS Member Countries, according to the official press release.
The Contact Group on Climate Change and Sustainable Development was established in 2024 as an effective mechanism for cooperation on climate change issues amongst BRICS member countries.