Sustainable development, climate change, and disaster resilience are crucial pillars of cooperation in BRICS. This field is strategically important for BRICS as the climate vulnerabilities often result in devastating consequences in the form of heatwaves, floods, droughts, cyclones, ecosystem degradation, and energy insecurity. Cooperation in this sector aims at contributing to resilience building, sustainable growth, technological innovation, and long-term development. The sector is increasingly being transformed by low-emissions transitions, renewable energy expansion, carbon accounting systems, climate finance, and scientific cooperation across countries of the world (BRICS Brazil, 2025a; BRICS Brazil, 2025d; BRICS Brazil, 2025f).

The specific actions for addressing climate vulnerability and building resilience include climate science, adaptation planning, emissions reduction, while also covering emerging areas including carbon market, climate-related trade measures, just transition, and resilience-oriented infrastructure. Supporting ecosystem components include research institutions, scientific networks, think tanks, and technical cooperation platforms (BRICS Brazil, 2025d; BRICS Brazil, 2025f).

The BRICS Ministerial Track on Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, along with the BRICS Contact Group on Climate Change and Sustainable Development (CGCCSD) guides cooperation in this area through policy coordination, strategic oversight, and implementation support. Key institutional frameworks include the BRICS Climate Research Platform (BCRP)¹ , the BRICS Partnership for Urban Environment Sustainability Initiative² , the BRICS Laboratory for Trade, Climate Change and Sustainable Development (BRICS Lab)³ , the BRICS Joint Task Force on Disaster Risk Management⁴ , and the BRICS Carbon Markets Partnership⁵ . These mechanisms facilitate scientific exchange, climate modelling, technical cooperation, and policy dialogue (BRICS Brazil, 2025e).

The BRICS Climate Leadership Agenda, a major initiative that promotes equitable and development-oriented approaches to climate governance based on the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities. Implementation is carried out through modalities such as expert networks, steering committees, technical workshops, pilot projects, joint research studies, data sharing arrangements, and capacity building programmes coordinated through the BCRP and BRICS Lab (BRICS Brazil, 2025d).

Financial support can be provided through voluntary state contributions, New Development Bank (NDB), multilateral contributions and partnerships with international organizations (BRICS Brazil, 2025f). Together, these initiatives strengthen resilience, scientific cooperation, and sustainable development while advancing coordinated BRICS action on climate change and disaster management.

NDB places climate change and disaster risk reduction at the core of its strategy and operations. Under its General Strategy for 2022–2026, NDB has set a target of directing 40% of total approved financing to projects that contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, including energy transition (NDB, 2022). From 2022 and 2025, NDB approved USD 5.59 billion in climate finance, representing 44% of its total financing over the period, surpassing its 40% target. Around 70% of this climate finance was channelled into mitigation projects, while about 30% was directed towards adaptation.

As at the end of 2025, NDB’s active portfolio is expected to result in avoidance of 32.2 million tonnes/year of CO2 emissions (NDB, 2026). Climate and disaster risks are treated as cross-cutting considerations, systematically factored into project selection and design across all sectors of operation. In line with its strategy, NDB remains committed to helping member countries achieve their development objectives in alignment with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement.

[1] BRICS Brazil (2025c)
[2] BRICS South Africa (2018)
[3] BRICS Brazil (2025c)
[4] BRICS India (2021)
[5] BRICS Russia (2024)