New Delhi: Union Minister of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav said on Tuesday that India’s BRICS 2026 chairship will focus on placing the concerns of the Global South at the forefront of the agenda and redefining BRICS as “Building Resilience and Innovation for Cooperation and Sustainability”, with a people-centric approach and the spirit of “humanity first”.
Welcoming ministers and heads of delegation to the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers’ Meeting at Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam, Yadav highlighted the growing global environmental challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and disaster risks, particularly for developing countries where environmental vulnerability is often closely intertwined with broader development priorities.
“We call for stronger BRICS cooperation on forest fire prevention, preparedness, early warning, response and post-fire recovery, with special focus on the importance of climate finance, adaptation and empowering local communities,” Yadav said in his address.
The BRICS Environment Ministers’ Meeting was preceded by the BRICS Senior Officers’ Meeting of the Environment Working Group and Contact Group on Climate Change and Sustainable Development.
The event was held with an overarching theme of “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.
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India’s contributions to environmental consciousness
Citing India’s contributions in the field of environmental protection and sustainability, Yadav said, “Ecological restoration and human development can advance together”. He said that initiatives like Mission LiFE and Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam were classic examples of combining ecological restoration, public participation, and community ownership.
The minister also called for bringing traditional knowledge and modern science together to ensure solutions are “scientifically robust, locally relevant and socially inclusive”.
In his address, Yadav also focused on how India’s new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for 2031-2035 reflects the ambitious commitment to advancing climate action while supporting inclusive development and energy security.
Yadav also highlighted four priorities of India’s BRICS chairship: promoting sustainable lifestyles; afforestation, forest fire management and disaster resilience; circular economy; and adaptation.
“Together, these four priorities reflect a simple yet powerful conviction-environmental action must remain people-centric and sustainable, implementation or action-oriented and responsive to the realities of developing countries,” he said.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)