The BRICS Climate Dilemma: Reconciling Development, Energy Security, and Net-Zero Goals

Abstract

The BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) are highly populated, home to half of the world’s population, and account for nearly 40% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, their role in global climate change is extremely important. This study investigates the sustainability strategies, policies, and governance structures used by BRICS countries to reconcile economic development with net-zero targets. Three major findings were determined during this study. First, the BRICS have created several cooperative groups i.e. New Development Bank and Energy Cooperation Roadmap 2025-2030. These groups support collaborative methods for BRICS nations to address climate change. However, these groups are not subject to compliance/regulation like other nations. Second, each BRICS country has developed an individual plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with varying timelines for their completion (ranging from 2050 to 2070) due to each country being at different developmental levels. For example, some BRICS countries are relying on fossil fuels significantly at this time. Third, a continuing barrier to implementation is the high level of financing currently available. Despite climate finance flows of only about USD 1.3 trillion (mailed drop) in total per year needed for effective and sustainable transformation, current flows of climate finance (in total) are well below this figure. This paper proposes a practical climate governance framework tailored for emerging economies like BRICS nations. It features the BRICS climate governance model, incorporating key principles of differentiated responsibility, shared financing mechanisms, and strategic leveraging of multilateral institutions.