Editorial 2: ​BRICS India summit needs a green and resilient agenda

Context

It is a critical necessity for the Global South, especially within an expanded BRICS framework.

Introduction

The next BRICS Summit will be hosted by India this year. Following its successful G20 presidency in 2023, India has the required infrastructure and institutional capacity in place. The key task now is to clearly define the Summit’s focus, ensuring it reflects India’s priorities, the BRICS agenda, and the urgent concerns of the Global South. Given the region’s growing climate vulnerabilities, resilience should be central, reinforcing India’s global leadership on an inclusive green agenda.

BRICS as a Balancing and Stabilising Force in a Polarised World

• Need for a stabilising force
  • In a highly polarised global environment, collaborative multilateralism is under severe strain
  • Climate change cooperation has weakened, with the U.S. questioning its credibility and promoting fossil fuel expansion
  • The U.S. decision to withdraw from multiple international organisations, including climate-focused platforms, has deepened the vacuum
  • European nations, once climate leaders, now face domestic fatigue and security pressures, creating space for a new stabiliser
  • BRICS can step in to support collective action on sustainability and resilience
• Diplomatic tightrope for India
  • BRICS is viewed with suspicion in Washington as anti-American and a challenge to the dollar-centric order
  • Given the breadth of India–U.S. relations, careful diplomacy is essential
  • Priorities include a viable trade deal, avoiding punitive tariffs, and managing sensitivities over Russian oil imports
  • India’s ability to balance interests was evident at the G20 Delhi Summit, showcasing multi-alignment, strategic autonomy, and leadership of the Global South

Climate Change as a Shared Priority

• Broader developing-country coordination
  • The BASIC grouping (Brazil, South Africa, India, China) has been effective and remains relevant
  • An expanded BRICS platform brings greater weight by uniting major developing economies
  • This was evident in Belém, where development needs were protected while addressing fossil fuel transitions
• Common climate vulnerabilities
  • Climate impacts affect all BRICS members, though in different forms and intensities
  • Risks span infrastructure, health, livelihoods, and ecosystems
  • Shared challenges include permafrost thaw, stress on the Amazon and Himalayas, and growing coastal and riverine vulnerabilities
  • Collective action on adaptation, resilience, equity, and sustainable development is in BRICS’ own interest
• Leadership in global climate governance
  • Several BRICS countries have helped steer the climate process after the Paris Agreement
  • Recent climate conferences led by Brazil, Egypt, and the UAE sustained momentum post-COVID
  • BRICS can also respond to unilateral measures that dilute UNFCCC principles, such as carbon border mechanisms
  • Belém opened space for a broader climate–trade debate
• Climate finance as a central outcome
  • The BRICS Leaders’ Framework Declaration on Climate Finance (Rio, July 2025) marked a key milestone
  • India has been particularly vocal in articulating the Global South’s finance demands
• Engaging global financial institutions
  • Climate action hinges on adequate and accessible finance
  • There is a strong case for engaging World Bank and IMF leadership at BRICS Summits
  • Climate finance efforts cannot succeed without these institutions, especially amid reduced U.S. climate commitment and private capital pullback from ESG and green finance
• Growing global weight of BRICS
  • The expanded BRICS now includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the UAE
  • Together, they represent about half of the world’s population, around 40% of global GDP, and roughly 26% of global trade
  • This scale gives BRICS significant voice, leverage, and responsibility in shaping the global climate agenda

A Chance for India to Drive Change

• Leadership opportunity
  • As BRICS chair this year, India is uniquely placed to steer collective global action
  • The focus can be on resilience and an inclusive green agenda that unites much of the developing world
  • This aligns with India’s national interests and is a critical imperative for the Global South
• Geopolitical balancing
  • A proactive BRICS agenda allows India to balance China’s ambitions for global leadership on climate issues
  • It strengthens India’s role as a credible and independent voice on sustainability
• Global resonance
  • An India-led emphasis on resilience at the BRICS Summit 2026 would find strong resonance across members
  • It would also align with Ethiopia’s priorities as the host of COP32 in 2027, reinforcing continuity in the global climate process

Conclusion

The BRICS Summit in India presents a timely opportunity to reposition the grouping as a stabilising force in a fragmented world. By prioritising climate resilience, equity, and sustainable development, India can align BRICS’ growing economic weight with the urgent needs of the Global South. A carefully balanced, inclusive green agenda would not only strengthen global climate governance but also reinforce India’s leadership, strategic autonomy, and credibility as a bridge between development imperatives and climate responsibility.