Abstract:

BRICS Plus is a major geopolitical and environmental development, which opens new paths for climate action among emerging economies. As a central member of BRICS Plus, India can not only contribute but also play a pioneering role in constructing the bloc's sustainability agenda. This article analyses India’s strategic involvement in renewable energy initiatives, climate policy agenda-setting, and technological leadership. India's commitment to the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities also applies to the climate negotiations. The India component discusses the country’s ability to drive innovation in climate technologies. Through the partnerships and South-South cooperation promoted by BRICS Plus, India can help strengthen its role in global climate governance. India's leadership in green technology, policy development, and collaborative frameworks can thus lead to the accomplishment of the environmental and socio-economic objectives of BRICS Plus.

Key Words: BRICS Plus, India, Climate Action, Renewable Energy, Green Technology

The BRICS stands for a powerful group of five countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. This group has been a platform for its member countries to address the challenges related to development and sustainability. The recent evolution of BRICS into the BRICS Plus projects a dramatic shift in its perspective on climate change issues — an essential part of this group’s global governance approach. The sustainability strategy of the BRICS group has now been extended to encompass another four emerging economies — Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. This approach demonstrates the group's aim to shape global responses to climate change threats (Ahmad, 2023).

India’s growing concerns about climate change align with its leadership role on the executive committee of BRICS Plus. This strategic position offers India a unique opportunity to move ahead with its climate goals and increase cooperation among emerging economies. As a member of BRICS Plus, India can promote sustainable development through collaborations such as technology transfer, green financing, and capacity building. This article explores how India's proactive role in BRICS Plus can drive collaborative action on the climate front and pave the way to strengthen partnerships amongst developing nations.

Historical Context and Evolution of BRICS Plus

The concept of BRICS Plus emerged as a strategic extension of the BRICS alliance, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The roots of BRICS trace back to 2001 when Goldman Sachs identified these countries as emerging economic powers. The formal establishment of BRIC occurred in 2009, with South Africa joining in 2010, thus forming BRICS (BS Web Team, 2023). The purpose of this coalition was to transform the shape of global governance and to promote economic cooperation; by representing key emerging markets.

The term BRICS Plus was first proposed at the Xiamen, China, summit 2017 (Gupta, 2017). China recognised the need for broader engagement and invited the other emerging economies for a dialogue to expand the partnership. Egypt, Mexico, and Thailand participated, laying the groundwork for a more inclusive (sic) platform. This expansion aimed to boost South-South cooperation, strengthen global trade, and promote development initiatives through partnership.

In 2023-2024, BRICS made a landmark development by welcoming six new countries – Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE to its fold, adding new global heft to the grouping (Feingold, 2024). It became yet another expansion of this broader geopolitical ambition, integrating more and more emerging economies, to amplify its collective voice in global climate negotiations. However, BRICS Plus has witnessed extraordinary growth since its inception at different summits. Formalization of collaboration was discussed in areas such as trade, investment, and technological exchange, based on institutional frameworks. Gradually, the platform became a symbol of collective representation of developing nations standing up to the hegemony of traditional, Western-led institutions.

The historical trajectory of BRICS Plus has been a dynamic response to shifting global challenges. As an economic bloc, however, its expanded environmental agenda stands as an acknowledgment of the symbiosis of economics and ecology.

BRICS Plus: A Platform for Collective Climate Action

The inclusion of the BRICS Plus is a huge achievement in the global fight against climate change. Given the highly diverse membership, geopolitical influence, resource synergies, financial collaboration, and policy coordination of BRICS Plus, it represents an effective avenue for collective climate action. BRICS Plus is a coalition of major developing economies and therefore is a wider representation of the global south in the international climate discussions. By uniting some shared concerns for balancing economic growth and environmental sustainability, it creates a unified approach toward global climate pledges.

Also, the alliance benefits from the rich natural resources, such as forests, minerals, and water that are essential for climate resilience and renewable energy production, and all of these resources are shared by the alliance. The New Development Bank (NDB), created by BRICS, represents a solid framework for the financing of sustainable development projects including renewable energy, infrastructure resilience, and climate adaptation.

BRICS Plus provides a geopolitical counterbalance to the Western-led climate finance mechanisms, advocating for fairer international climate rules. The platform promotes South-South cooperation that empowers developing countries to lead an equitable global climate agenda, at the same time pursuing equitable development and environmental protection. BRICS Plus is a promising global force for climate action owing to its comprehensive approach.

India as the Renewable Energy Lead

India has made a tremendous stride in renewable energy, especially solar power. This country has embarked on several path-breaking measures including the International Solar Alliance (ISA), consisting of 121 countries, fully or partially located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. These countries are rich in solar resources and target large-scale deployment of solar resources (Press Information Bureau, 2018). It is an example of how India's broader Climate Action plan leverages technology and engaging partners to deal with the problem. Driven by national policies such as the National Solar Mission and state-level initiatives promoting green energy, India has experienced exponential growth in its renewable energy sector. India’s leadership capability has been reflected by the target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 (PTI, 2024).

As a global leader in renewable energy, India’s experience can play a transformative role in BRICS Plus climate goals by facilitating technology transfer, policy advocacy, and investment in sustainable energy projects. With its ability to spearhead research and development (R&D) on joint renewable energy, it can enable member countries to develop in areas related to energy storage, smart grids, and green hydrogen technology. Within the block, the clean energy transitions can be expedited and costs can be reduced through collaborative R&D. India’s membership in the NDB can bring India’s participation when it comes to the green financing of large-scale renewable projects. India as a key decision maker can propose climate-friendly frameworks focusing on clean energy infrastructure and support BRICS Plus members.

India can also advance a BRICS Plus green energy initiative proposing a joint investment fund for renewable energy projects. In the context of this initiative, common sustainability goals would be set to promote public-private partnerships and cross-border technology exchange. Such a framework can force member nations to adopt renewable energy. Additionally, setting up a concerned council can bring uniform technical specifications and quality control of energy projects. This council would bring together green energy policies and streamline regulatory processes to implement projects easier Sharing best practices and technological expertise across member nations will help BRICS Plus to bolster the energy transition while expanding socio-economic development.

India can initiate a training academy for imparting specialised courses in technologies associated with solar, wind, and bioenergy. It would form a pool of technically trained professionals ready to handle green projects in the future. India can lend itself to creating a uniform renewable energy policy and sustainability standards. By pushing for favorable terms of trade for the components of renewable energy, India can strengthen the bloc's competitiveness in the global clean economy. This will allow us to strengthen action on climate while ensuring equitable and sustainable development in member states.

India’s Climate Action Leadership

In addition to being actively involved in strengthening the renewable energy sector, India is committed to advancing climate action. The principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC) has been an important agenda item for India at many fora including the 1992 Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit. The principle recognises the “different capabilities and differing responsibilities of individual countries in addressing climate change” and thus suggests that responsibility for climate change rests on developed countries more than on developing countries (Harris, 1999).

India's leadership in climate action combines adaptation with mitigation. India's integrated approach infused in the National Action Plan on Climate Change sounds as global climate commitments as reaffirmed. Member countries of India can embark on a voyage to carry out collaborative climate adaptation projects that can include establishing a climate adaptation fund for instance, where member countries can donate in equal proportion to their economic strength. The fund could be used for technology-sharing focuses like the development of climate-resilient seeds, water management systems, and disaster preparedness infrastructure. Member countries can replicate India’s proven success story in projects like Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana. In addition, a climate adaptation knowledge network may be formed to promote the circulation of climate-resilient agricultural practices; disaster risk management protocols; and environmental data. Such a network would increase the capacity for adaptation and regional stability, in the face of climate-related disruptions. Additionally, the establishment of a research institute would support data-driven policy advice in advanced climate modeling and predictive analysis. If this institute can partner with universities and think tanks it could fund cutting-edge research and train the coming generation of climate scientists.

Being one of the largest and most climate-vulnerable nations, India possesses an ideal opportunity to lead the BRICS Plus in the context of the climate agenda. India can lead with an alternative policy that allows the developing nations to advance to sustainable development while keeping the developed nations accountable for climate change effects incited by their historical carbon dioxide emissions. India’s position as a mediator can augment shared technology and investment for renewable energy for the economies of BRICS Plus and the rest of the developing economies of the world.

Green Technology and Innovation

India's expanding tech industry provides the country with a capacity for leadership on the subject of climate-related technology discussions within BRICS Plus. India has a strong IT industry and houses some of the biggest tech giants from around the globe, the country is poised to lead digital solutions for sustainable development. India has built a strong platform for tech-based climate solutions through initiatives like Digital India, Smart Cities, and other government-backed schemes, that the BRICS Plus nations can expand further (Rivas et al., 2022 and Malik, 2023). The experience of India with its initiatives at a large scale opens up an opportunity for other BRICS plus member states. The development of smart grids, energy-efficiency buildings, and digital platforms for tracking and controlling natural resources will be highly useful in realising climate objectives.

The process of technological advancement in member countries can be accelerated with the establishment of an innovation council on green technology. Artificial intelligence (AI) driven climate modeling joint ventures, blockchain-enabled carbon trading system joint ventures, green fintech joint ventures, and others may result in the development of a shared technological ecosystem, driving both economic growth and sustainability. Developing a green technology incubator could assist emerging green start-ups by providing technical advice, seed capital, and global market access. This would open up a new spate of eco-entrepreneurialism, with sustainable innovation and employment opportunities to be created across member countries. In addition, it could launch an annual innovation forum that showcases breakthroughs, attracts investors, and builds international collaborations.

India's expanding tech industry provides the country with a capacity for leadership on the subject of climate-related technology discussions within BRICS Plus. Besides, India can propose BRICS Plus to invest systemically through research and development and create green technology innovation. Exports of technology and clean technologies, joint ventures and activities linked to technology transfer might support the deployment of clean energy technology across the bloc, allowing at the same time the generation of new industries and economic growth.

Conclusion

As the concept of BRICS Plus develops further, the position and the voice of India will be most influential in establishing the framework of the climate change policy. India in particular, has the widest expertise in the field of diplomacy. By supporting the argument of renewable energy, climate action, and green technology, India will introduce BRICS Plus to a more sustainable future. However, aligning these vital member interests to pursue climate action will require a continuation of diplomatic and leadership coherency.

India's navigation of the associated challenges and building of partnerships within BRICS Plus will be critical in ensuring the bloc commits meaningful climate action. As the world reckons with the acute and chronic consequences of climate change; BRICS Plus holds the potential for emerging economies to work collectively on solutions that can be fair, and sustainability-oriented.

Disclaimer

This article/paper is original in content, unpublished, and has not been submitted for publication/web upload elsewhere. The facts quoted are duly referenced, as needed, and are believed to be correct. The paper does not necessarily represent the organisation views of FINS India.

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