India hosted the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers’ Meeting at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, bringing together environment ministers, senior officials, policymakers and experts from member countries to discuss shared environmental priorities. The gathering provided an opportunity to exchange ideas, build consensus and identify avenues for deeper cooperation on sustainability and climate-related challenges.
Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav chaired the meeting as India continues its BRICS leadership in 2026. The country’s chairship is centered on the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” reflecting an emphasis on practical solutions to environmental and developmental challenges.
Addressing the participants, Yadav called for closer coordination between public policy, technological progress and community participation. He stressed that environmental action should remain centered on human needs while advancing efforts to create a more sustainable future.
The minister highlighted India’s progress in reducing the environmental impact of its economic growth. According to figures presented at the meeting, the country lowered its emissions intensity by more than 37% between 2005 and 2022. He also noted that clean energy sources now account for more than half of India’s overall power-generation capacity, underlining the country’s ongoing transition toward a cleaner energy system.
As chair of BRICS, India reiterated its commitment to maintaining an inclusive and constructive platform for dialogue. Yadav said the country values the experiences and perspectives of all member nations and intends to encourage discussions based on cooperation and consensus.
The meeting also featured the release of four knowledge compendiums developed by the BRICS Environment Working Group. Yadav and heads of delegations from participating countries jointly unveiled the publications, which bring together examples of environmental practices, traditional knowledge, technological approaches and innovations from across the BRICS grouping.
The compendiums represent the outcome of discussions held within the working group and are intended to support the sharing of practical knowledge among member countries. Their release added a knowledge-sharing dimension to the ministerial meeting, highlighting the value of exchanging successful approaches to environmental management.
The gathering ultimately reinforced BRICS’ role as a forum for collaborative environmental action, with India using its 2026 chairship to promote resilience, technological innovation, sustainable development and stronger cooperation among member countries.
