New Delhi, Aug 18 (HS): India will host the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday under its 2026 BRICS Chairship, with environmental cooperation, climate resilience and sustainable development among the key issues on the agenda.

Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav will chair the meeting. It will be preceded by meetings of the BRICS Senior Officers' Meeting of the Environment Working Group and the Contact Group on Climate Change and Sustainable Development.

The discussions will be held under the overarching theme of India's BRICS Chairship 2026, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.

According to the government, the ministerial meeting will provide a platform for BRICS member countries to exchange views, build consensus and strengthen practical cooperation on pressing environmental challenges.

India has identified several priority areas for focused engagement under the BRICS Environment Working Group, including sustainable lifestyles, afforestation, forest fire management and disaster resilience, circular economy and climate adaptation.

The discussions are also expected to facilitate greater sharing of policies, technologies, experiences and best practices among BRICS countries.

The meeting assumes significance as India seeks to advance cooperation on issues affecting developing economies, including climate adaptation, ecosystem restoration, resource efficiency and disaster resilience.

On Monday, senior officials from BRICS member countries met at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi ahead of the ministerial meeting. The meeting was chaired by Environment Ministry Secretary Tanmay Kumar and attended by representatives from Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the UAE.

Kumar said BRICS had evolved over the past two decades from an economic dialogue into a broader platform addressing sustainable development, climate resilience, adaptation, resource efficiency, the circular economy and environmental governance.

He said India's BRICS 2026 Chairship was guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of keeping global cooperation people-centric and advancing a “humanity-first” approach.

The government said India was seeking to advance environmental action through approaches that integrate ecological sustainability with development objectives.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar