The BRICS declaration has called for greater cooperation on renewable energy, smart grids, energy storage, low-emission hydrogen and clean industrial development, with the Centre for Science and Environment saying the commitments could strengthen the shift towards cleaner energy across member countries.
The declaration, issued at the BRICS summit, places clean technology and green industrial development alongside climate-related priorities. It also includes support for a photovoltaic industry action plan and expanded cooperation in low-emission hydrogen, smart grids and energy storage.
CSE programme manager Avantika Goswami said BRICS countries are facing rapidly rising energy requirements, making an immediate end to fossil-fuel use unlikely. She said the declaration nevertheless emphasised a just, orderly, equitable and inclusive energy transition, while also highlighting energy security and resilient supply chains.
The emphasis on supply chains is significant because the declaration links clean-energy deployment with industrial development and manufacturing capacity. CSE deputy programme manager Trishant Dev said broader cooperation would be needed to help developing countries move up the global high-value manufacturing chain.
According to the CSE assessment, BRICS countries are adopting clean technologies such as solar power and electric vehicles at a fast pace. The group is also responsible for more than half of global solar-energy production, making its decisions relevant to the availability, manufacturing and deployment of clean-energy technologies beyond the member countries.
The declaration calls for renewable energy to be expanded across economic sectors and for carbon emissions to be reduced. Its listed areas of cooperation cover generation, electricity-system management, storage, hydrogen and industrial production rather than focusing only on electricity generation.
The document also addresses trade-related climate measures. BRICS countries have opposed unilateral and protectionist measures linked to climate policy, including the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, or CBAM. The declaration further reiterates commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.
The announcement does not specify project-level funding, implementation deadlines or the institutional mechanism through which the proposed cooperation will be delivered. The immediate focus is on establishing cooperation in photovoltaic manufacturing, low-emission hydrogen, smart grids and energy storage while balancing faster clean-energy adoption with the member countries’ continuing energy needs.
