Executing the green vision

BRICS cooperation reshapes global energy transition and builds independent sustainable financing systems for the Global South

As the BRICS Summit concluded in India in September under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability", the 140-point adopted declaration mentioned the issue of renewable energy multiple times, which touched on energy security as a crucial foundation for social and economic development, national security and the welfare of all nations.

While fossil fuels are still expected to play an important role in the world's energy mix, particularly for emerging markets and developing economies, the summit acknowledged the growing digitization of energy systems. Empowered by technologies such as artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics, modern energy infrastructure improves digital sovereignty across multiple dimensions, including system planning, renewable integration and the strengthened cyber-resilient infrastructure.

This year is a pivotal milestone for the BRICS cooperation mechanism as it marks its 20th anniversary. What began as a meeting of foreign ministers in 2006 has now metamorphosed into an 11-member group, representing a formidable voice for the Global South. Among its most transformative achievements is the elevated environmental cooperation, which has moved from being a peripheral issue to a central pillar that has reshaped the landscape of the green transition beyond the traditional Western framework. The bloc, which grouped Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa before welcoming Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, has grown to become an important institutional home for the Global South.

The Meeting of BRICS Energy Ministers 2026 emphasized the importance of energy security to social and economic development, national security and overall welfare. The statement that was issued during the meeting highlighted the need for fostering stable energy markets, diversified energy sources, resilient value chains and the protection of critical infrastructure — particularly those crossing borders under the BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution. Notably, BRICS acknowledges that fossil fuels will maintain a role in the energy mix for emerging markets and developing economies. At the same time, the summit underscored a commitment to just, orderly and inclusive energy transition, aiming to lower greenhouse gas emissions in line with climate goals and Sustainable Development Goal 7, which is to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

Additionally, the growing role of digitization in energy systems, through AI and advanced analytics, is highlighted as a key factor in improving planning, grid management and operational efficiency. In this context, BRICS welcomes cooperation on smart grids, energy storage and hydrogen value chains, reflecting a commitment to a balanced and diversified energy mix that addresses national circumstances through member states' cooperation. The BRICS+ Working Group on Photovoltaic Industry encourages member states to share policy updates through the BRICS knowledge-sharing portal and intra-BRICS technical and policy exchange programs. The effect is cumulative: shared standards, joint procurement and a green-technology base that no single Global South capital could build alone.

The New Development Bank established by BRICS has been a game changer. By financing projects such as solar power panels in India and wind farms in Brazil, the bank allows member countries to pursue sustainable infrastructure without relying on Western financial institutions.

The shift was on full display at the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi in August. The bloc did not gather to trade declarations; it came with delivery. China is exporting full-chain photovoltaic technologies, batteries and electric vehicles as integrated ecosystems that allow partner countries to build their own green industries. Brazil is scaling wind power at a pace that puts it among the world's most dynamic renewable markets. South Africa is advancing concentrated solar thermal systems that demonstrate emerging economies can also compete in frontier technology.

India is bringing its experience in low-cost solar auctions and grid modernization. And behind them all sits the New Development Bank, which has directed roughly 40 percent of its 2022-26 lending toward climate and green infrastructure. That number signals a quiet revolution: Green financing is no longer something the Global South must wait for from OECD institutions. Increasingly, it is something the Global South can build for itself.

For decades, the Global South received commitments, but rarely capacity. Technology transfer was framed as charity. Financing came with conditions that often slowed down industrialization. Environmental cooperation was treated as a moral obligation, not a development strategy. BRICS has flipped that logic. Circular economy pilots, green mining standards and non-Western technology transfer models are now part of the growing green BRICS architecture. These are fitting, tangible and detailed actions that underscore BRICS' proactive role in the green energy transition.

The author is a professor of the Department of Diplomacy & International Studies at the University of Nairobi and the chair of the Foreign Service Academy, Kenya.

The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn.