As climate diplomacy falters under the weight of geopolitical tensions and declining trust, the BRICS bloc is emerging as a potential torchbearer for the Global South’s climate agenda.
With fractured multilateral institutions and weakening commitments from developed countries, BRICS offers a fresh platform rooted in development realities and shared sustainability goals.
The withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement under Donald Trump’s second administration has created a vacuum in global climate leadership. “America’s exit from the Paris Accord is a serious setback,” noted one observer at COP29, where the U.S. had pledged $11 billion in climate finance.
Simultaneously, Europe’s waning enthusiasm, driven by right-wing political shifts and military expenditures, is undermining its climate ambitions.
These developments have left climate negotiations in disarray. The recent Bonn Climate Change Conference ended in deadlock, with no consensus on financing or loss and damage. In this context, BRICS has stepped up to highlight an alternative route.
At the Rio summit in July, climate was a core agenda item. The bloc reaffirmed support for “common but differentiated responsibilities,” while calling for a reformed international financial system that supports sustainable development.
Notably, Brazil, which will host COP30 in Belém, is aiming to mobilise $1.3 trillion in climate finance for the Global South. Meanwhile, the New Development Bank (NDB), BRICS’s financing arm, has pledged to allocate 40% of its lending to climate goals by 2026 — already outperforming institutions like the World Bank in adaptation finance.
Despite its internal divisions and the fossil-fuel dependencies of key members like China, India, and Russia, BRICS carries significant economic and geopolitical weight. The expanded bloc now accounts for 45% of the world’s population, nearly 30% of global GDP, and controls 72% of global rare earth reserves essential for clean energy transitions.
“BRICS is not perfect, but it reflects the urgency of the Global South,” said a policy expert in Rio. With growing intra-bloc trade, reduced reliance on the US dollar, and strong South-South cooperation potential, BRICS is positioning itself as a pragmatic, development-oriented climate actor.
India’s upcoming presidency in 2026 could mark a turning point. Prime Minister Modi’s rebranding of BRICS as “Building Resilience and Innovation for Cooperation and Sustainability” signals an ambition to evolve the group into a unified climate voice. If backed by action, BRICS could become the advocate for climate justice that the Global South desperately needs.
