BRICS Challenges Western Climate Model: Why ‘Net Zero’ Is Missing from New Delhi Declaration

Source: Business Today | Original Published At: 2026-09-12 14:46:16 UTC

Key Points

• The New Delhi Declaration from the 18th BRICS Summit omits the term 'Net Zero' and places climate change within broader sustainable development priorities.
• The declaration emphasizes multilateralism and argues that emerging economies should have representation commensurate with their economic weight in global governance.
• Climate action is linked to industrial policy, critical minerals, energy systems, supply chains, infrastructure, finance, insurance and food security.
• The text stresses differentiated responsibilities, national circumstances, climate finance, technology transfer and capacity-building from developed economies.
• BRICS is seeking its own energy-transition pathway that aligns development and decarbonization while retaining a role for fossil fuels in developing economies.
• The declaration opposes carbon-border measures that BRICS views as unilateral, punitive, discriminatory and protectionist.