- September 12, 2026
No ‘Net Zero’ In BRICS Declaration: Why The Bloc Is Challenging The West’s Climate Model
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The declaration points to a strategy that is less about imposing one deadline on everyone and more about giving developing countries space and money to transition at their own pace
BRICS countries acknowledged that fossil fuels will still play an important role in the world’s energy mix, particularly for emerging markets and developing economies.
The BRICS grouping on Saturday backed climate action, cleaner technologies and energy transitions, but stopped short of embracing the kind of fossil-fuel phaseout or explicit “net zero” commitment that has increasingly shaped the climate debate in developed economies.
Instead, the New Delhi Declaration takes a distinctly Global South approach: fossil fuels will remain part of the energy mix, countries should decide their own transition pathways, and developed nations must provide more climate finance to help poorer economies make the shift.
The declaration does not mention “net zero” even once. At the same time, it reaffirms the BRICS commitment to the Paris Agreement and calls for emissions reductions in line with climate goals.
Fossil Fuels Are Not Going Away, Yet
The clearest message comes in the energy section of the declaration.
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BRICS countries acknowledged that fossil fuels will still play an important role in the world’s energy mix, particularly for emerging markets and developing economies.
At the same time, they called for “just, orderly, equitable and inclusive” energy transitions and for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with climate goals.
The distinction matters. Rather than prescribing a single pathway away from fossil fuels, BRICS has backed technological neutrality and the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities”. This essentially recognises that countries have different economic circumstances, energy needs and capacities to transition.
Why No Net-Zero Target?
The declaration’s silence on “net zero” is notable because the term has become a central benchmark in global climate policy.
But for many developing economies, the argument is that a rapid shift away from fossil fuels cannot be separated from issues of energy access, affordability, economic growth and development.
BRICS therefore calls for a balanced and diversified energy mix, listing renewable energy, bioenergy, fossil fuels, nuclear energy, hydropower, hydrogen, low-carbon technologies and energy storage among the options available to countries.
The declaration says these different sources and technologies can contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals and energy security.
Where Is The Climate Money?
For BRICS, the climate debate is not only about emissions. It is also about who pays for the transition.
The declaration recognises that emerging-market and developing economies face particular climate-related risks and substantial gaps in funding, especially for adaptation.
It also points to another problem: debt. BRICS leaders said high debt burdens are further constraining climate and development investment in many developing countries. They called for international action to improve debt sustainability, expand fiscal space and support sustainable development and climate financing.
The declaration also calls on developed countries to provide additional, adequate, predictable and accessible financial resources, along with capacity building and technology transfer, to developing countries for adaptation.
That reflects a long-standing Global South position: developing countries should not be expected to carry the financial burden of a transition largely driven by a climate problem that was historically created by today’s developed economies.
BRICS Takes Aim At Carbon Border Taxes
The bloc has also taken a direct position against another major element of the emerging Western climate framework: carbon border adjustment mechanisms, or CBAMs.
The New Delhi Declaration opposes unilateral, punitive, discriminatory and protectionist measures such as carbon border adjustment mechanisms, arguing that they can undermine developing countries’ efforts to deal with climate change and build resilience.
The issue has particular relevance for countries such as India, whose exporters face higher costs when selling carbon-intensive products into markets that impose carbon-linked import charges.
BRICS environment ministers had already opposed the European Union’s CBAM earlier this year, describing such measures as unilateral, punitive, discriminatory and protectionist. The bloc’s argument is essentially that climate policy should not become another form of trade protectionism.
But BRICS is not rejecting the clean-energy transition. It would be wrong to read the declaration as a rejection of climate action.
BRICS reaffirmed its commitment to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, including mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage. It also backed greater cooperation on carbon markets and the implementation of the BRICS Carbon Markets Partnership.
The bloc is also pushing cooperation in areas that will be central to the clean-energy transition. It has highlighted smart grids, energy storage, hydrogen and low-carbon technologies, while calling for greater cooperation on critical minerals.
Critical minerals are particularly important because they are needed for many zero- and low-emission technologies and are increasingly becoming a strategic issue in global energy supply chains.
BRICS has also backed cooperation on solar photovoltaic technology, including financing and capacity building.
So, What Is BRICS’ Climate Model?
The New Delhi Declaration points towards a climate strategy that is less about imposing one deadline on everyone and more about giving developing countries policy space, technology and money to transition at their own pace. It accepts the need to reduce emissions but argues that the route to that goal cannot ignore energy security, development needs or existing debt burdens.
That puts BRICS at odds with parts of the Western climate policy framework, particularly where climate rules affect trade.
The message from New Delhi is therefore not “no to climate action.” It is closer to yes to the transition, but not at the cost of energy security and development; and not without finance, technology and greater policy space for the Global South.
Quick Answers
Ask News18The BRICS declaration omitted a “net zero” target because developing economies argue that a rapid shift away from fossil fuels cannot be separated from energy access, affordability, economic growth, and development. Instead of a single prescribed pathway, the bloc backed technological neutrality and the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities”, advocating for a balanced and diversified energy mix that includes fossil fuels, nuclear energy, and renewables to protect energy security.
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September 12, 2026, 21:27 IST
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