12th BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting (International Relations)
12th BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting (International Relations)
Why In News:India hosted the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi on 18 August 2026 under its BRICS Chairship 2026, chaired by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav. Key Facts about the MeetingThe meeting was held under the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability' atBharat Mandapam in New Delhi, India.India has identified four priority areas under the BRICS Environment Working Group:
Promoting sustainable lifestyles
Afforestation, Forest Fire Management and Disaster Resilience
Circular economy
Adaptation
Mission LiFE and 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' were quoted as examples of combining ecological restoration with public participation and community ownership.
Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment): Initiated by PM Narendra Modi, promotes environment-friendly behavioural changes at individual and community levels, such as conserving water and energy and reducing waste.
‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ Campaign: Launched by the Prime Minister on World Environment Day (5 June 2024), encourages people to plant and nurture a tree in honour of their mother.
About BRICS
BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) was formalised in 2006; South Africa joined in 2010, making it BRICS.
The inaugural BRICS Summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009.
BRICS was created to provide a platform for greater cooperation among major emerging economies, strengthen the voice of the Global South, and promote a more representative and balanced multilateral global order.
Key Objectives: Its cooperation includes economic and financial coordination, trade and investment, sustainable development, technology, health, education and people-to-people exchanges.
Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE became full members in January 2024; Indonesia joined as a full member in January 2025.
India is holding the BRICS Chairship for the fourth time in 2026, having previously chaired it in 2012, 2016 and 2021.
The BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), headquartered in Shanghai, is the financial institution set up by BRICS nations to fund infrastructure and sustainable development projects.