BRICS ENVIRONMENT WORKING GROUP (EWG)

JOINT STATEMENT OF THE 11TH BRICS ENVIRONMENT MINISTERS MEETING

PREAMBLE

1. We, the BRICS Environment Ministers and High Authorities, participated in the 11th BRICS Environment Ministers Meeting, held under the chairmanship of the Federative Republic of Brazil in Brasília on April 3rd, 2025.

2. We reiterate our commitment to strengthening collaboration in environmental protection and sustainable development within the framework of BRICS, upholding multilateralism and strengthening global environmental governance.

3. We are pleased to note that to advance environmental cooperation the BRICS countries over the past decade created important cooperation mechanisms, including the BRICS Environmentally Sound Technology Platform (BEST) “BRICS Clean Rivers” and “BRICS Partnership for Urban Environmental Sustainability “, and approved the Annual Work Plan for the Memorandum of Understanding on Environmental Cooperation for the Period of 2023-2027, which received a new impetus in 2025.

4. As we realize the importance of involving various segments of society in solving environmental problems, we intend to further explore the possibility of creating a “BRICS Youth Environmental Network”.

5. We also note the importance of the accession of new BRICS countries in 2024 and 2025 and their meaningful contributions to the discussions in the framework of the Environment Working Group, as well as the incorporation of partner countries. The expanded BRICS reinforces its major role in global affairs and the cooperation among our countries, which can positively contribute to our countries and the global environmental agenda.

6. We reaffirm our steadfast commitments to scale up urgent action to address the challenges posed by climate change, biodiversity loss, desertification, land degradation, drought and pollution, among others. We recall that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. We highlight the potential of bioeconomy to contribute to building a sustainable future and fostering economic growth for all.7. Reflecting the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, we urge developed countries to provide adequate means of implementation for developing countries and countries with economies in transition, including new, additional, predictable, affordable and accessible financial resources, capacity building, technical and scientific assistance, development and transfer of affordable technology, for the full implementation of their commitments under environment and climate agreements.

8. In addition, we recognize that solutions to socio-environmental challenges require cultural changes that go beyond the development of new technologies. In this regard, we welcome the involvement of civil society, including Indigenous Peoples and local communities, in the decision-making processes, as appropriate, aimed at creating and strengthening laws, structures and investments in human and financial resources in Environmental Education, as a fundamental strategy in tackling environmental and climate challenges.

9. We welcome the activities of the Contact Group on Climate Change and Sustainable Development (CGCCSD), which is an effective mechanism of cooperation on climate change, and the adoption of the BRICS Framework for Cooperation on Climate Change and Sustainable Development at the High-Level Dialogue on Climate Change (Moscow, 30 August 2024).

10. We welcome the provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding on the BRICS Carbon Markets Partnership to strengthen cooperation in the field of carbon markets and look forward to establishing the BRICS Climate Research Platform (BCRP) to enhance the scientific and expert exchange of views, knowledge and best practices of the CGCCSD. We also take note of the proposal, under debate in the CGCCSD, to establish a BRICS Laboratory on Trade, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, to promote collaboration on mutually supportive approaches to trade and environmental policy. Furthermore, we also take note of the proposal for a Leaders’ Framework Declaration, which is intended to lead a global mobilization for enhancing access to timely and affordable finance for climate action, in fair terms, as a critical enabler for just transition pathways, as well as increasing the share of financing for adaptation.

11. We acknowledge the cross-cutting nature of addressing climate change and the need for strengthening and mainstream mitigation and adaptation efforts by our governments, businesses, academia and society, in the wake of the widespread and growing impacts of climate change. In this regard, we express our full support to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP-30 Presidency highlighting the importance of action and cooperation on all pillars of the UNFCCC as applicable considering each country’s membership and commitments thereunder. We also commend the positive role played by the COP Presidencies Troika in ensuring continuity through COP-28 to COP-30, building upon the achievements of COP-27.

12. We express our concern with the substantial gaps remaining between the current annual quantum provided under the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on Climate Finance and the financing needs identified by developing countries. In this context, we look forward to the “Baku to Belém Roadmap to 1.3T” as a targeted effort to increase climate finance flows toward developing countries. We urge developed countries to fulfill their obligations under the Convention to provide financial resources to developing countries for their climate action, including by disclosing their planning to achieve the USD 300 billion per year goal by 2035 under the NCQG.

13. We believe that cooperation within and through BRICS has the potential to contribute to the global path towards a sustainable future and an equitable and just transition for all. Under the Brazilian Presidency, we have agreed to focus on collaborative solutions and best practices in addressing (i) plastic pollution and waste; (ii) desertification, land degradation and drought; (iii) preservation, restoration, and valuation of ecosystem services; and (iv) collective leadership for climate: synergies between climate change and the aforementioned priority issues.

14. We express our full support for South Africa’s Presidency of G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) and acknowledge the significance of the close alignment of the priorities of the BRICS Environment Working Group (EWG) with those of the G20 ECSWG for 2025.

15. All measures taken to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, including unilateral ones, must be designed, adopted and implemented in conformity with the principles and provisions of relevant multilateral environmental and trade-related agreements and must not constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on international trade.

PLASTIC POLLUTION AND WASTE MANAGEMENT

16. We commit to continuing to engage constructively and actively, in the spirit of collaboration and consensus-building, and with a sense of urgency and solidarity in the ongoing negotiation of an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, as per the United Nations Environment Assembly resolution 5/14 and seek to reach common ground on a fair, effective, and balanced international legally binding instrument through the International Negotiating Committee.

17. A new international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution will only be effective with the adequate provision for means of implementation which includes the establishment of an independent and dedicated multilateral fund contributed by developed countries, with additional mobilization of resources from both public and private sources. It will be crucial for Parties to engage in international cooperation in science, advanced technology, innovation, and environmental education aimed at developing and sharing innovative and sustainable solutions, ensuring just transitions whereby no one is left behind, including communities in a vulnerable situation, such as waste pickers and other workers within plastic value chains, according to national circumstances and policies, as well as industries in developing countries and countries with economies in transition. In doing so, we will strengthen and advance towards the achievement of the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda.

18. While acknowledging that plastics play a vital role in society and that BRICS countries can play a key role in fostering environmental resilience, by addressing plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, and by enhancing cooperation, coordination and complementarityamong relevant regional and international conventions and instruments, with due respect for their respective mandates, to prevent plastic pollution and its related risks to human health, and the adverse effects on human well-being and the environment, we will contribute to a collective global response that takes into account different national circumstances, capacities, policies and priorities as well as levels of development.

19. Promoting circular economy approaches in our countries requires the development of, dissemination of and facilitated access to technologies. Building technical capacities and raising awareness about sorting requirements, recycling and reuse practices, while taking into account national circumstances and policies, is essential to ensure consistency and quality. Comprehensive capacity-building initiatives, including tailored training for waste workers, vocational education that integrates waste management into curricula, and the dissemination of knowledge and technologies on innovative recycling and reuse techniques, should contribute to enhance recyclability, circularity and efficiency. Promoting awareness of the negative impacts of certain single-use plastics, which have high littering potential and low utility, and facilitating transfer of advanced environmentally sound technologies in concessional terms supported by financing where required and needed, know-how and education to train skilled engineers and technicians for businesses pursuing sustainable alternative materials will bolster the value of recycling and reuse enterprises, attract investment, and ultimately contribute to a sustainable and more circular economy.

20. Effective waste management is essential to ensuring that plastic waste is properly collected, sorted, reused, recycled, treated and managed, as much as possible, and, when no longer economically viable, disposed of in an environmentally sound manner, preventing it from reaching water bodies and oceans. Enhancing waste management through encouraging the private sector to enroll, for example, in national Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes as part of their investment plans, according to national circumstances and capacities, also contributes to circular economy approaches by facilitating material recovery and reintegration into the productive cycle.

DESERTIFICATION, LAND DEGRADATION AND DROUGHT

21. We recognize that desertification, land degradation, and drought, including sand and dust storms, are posing serious threats to the well-being and livelihoods of peoples, in particular people in vulnerable situations, including Indigenous Peoples and local communities. In this sense, we welcome the creation of the Caucus for Indigenous Peoples and the Caucus for Local Communities by the 16th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP-16) to encourage and facilitate the participation of those groups in the Convention, in accordance with a people-oriented approach, as per UNCCD Decision 5/COP.

16. As our countries are increasingly being affected by desertification, land degradation, and drought, we urge the Parties to the Convention to produce concrete and tangible results on desertification, land degradation, and drought by COP-17 of the UNCCD.

22. We reaffirm our support for efforts to strive to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) as a key target under Sustainable Development Goal 15. LDN offers a viable pathway to restoring degraded ecosystems while ensuring the sustainable use of land resources for future generations. We emphasize the importance of integrating LDN into national policies, as appropriate, strengthening scientific cooperation, and mobilizing financial, technical and technological support to implement effective land restoration strategies. We call for increased collaboration among governments, the private sector, and civil society to scale up sustainable land management practices, promote ecosystem-based approaches, including afforestation, and enhance other mitigation actions and resilience against the impacts of land degradation and desertification, including sand and dust storms.

23. Building on the momentum of COP-16 of the UNCCD, we welcome the recent decisions that reinforce global efforts to combat land degradation and drought, notably the launch of the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, which aims to strengthen early warning systems, improve preparedness, and enhance cooperation on drought management. We also commend the financial commitments made to support sustainable land management and climate adaptation, recognizing the substantial gap in the availability of funding to effectively implement the UNCCD and insufficient attention given to desertification compared to other globalenvironmental challenges, which requires increased investments to restore degraded lands. Furthermore, we highlight the growing engagement of countries in global drought resilience efforts, such as the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA). We reaffirm our commitment to combat desertification, land degradation and drought, including proactive drought preparedness and sustainable land management. As we move towards UNCCD COP-17, in Mongolia in 2026, we stress the urgency of translating these commitments into concrete actions, ensuring that policies and programs are effectively implemented to deliver lasting results for both people and ecosystems.

24. We recognize the importance of investing in sustainable technologies for land restoration, as well as institutional support and capacity building for policymakers in developing countries to integrate technology into environmental policies.

PRESERVATION, RESTORATION, AND VALUATION OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

25. We recognize the need to intensify efforts to conserve our biomes, halt and reverse biodiversity loss, and restore ecosystems while recognizing and valuing their essential services. We reaffirm our commitment to implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity (CDB) and achieving the goals of its Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the realization of 2050 Vision of “living in harmony with nature”. We emphasize that the BRICS, in its enlarged version, played a crucial role during the Sixteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CBD in reaching an agreement on resource mobilization. We affirm that the group will always stand ready to contribute to positive outcomes in multilateral environmental negotiations  We congratulate Brazil for having been chosen as the host country for the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP-15), to be held in 2026, an opportunity to reinforce the global commitment to the protection of migratory fauna and international environmental cooperation.

26. We acknowledge the potential of innovative economic instruments, including payments for ecosystem services, as one of the possible approaches to supporting the conservation, restoration,and sustainable use of biodiversity. We also underscore the fundamental contribution of ecosystem services to sustainable development and poverty eradication, including their role in air and water regulation, climate mitigation and adaptation, pest control, soil fertility, erosion control, ecotourism, seed dispersal and pollination.

27. We emphasize the importance of exploring and enhancing payments for ecosystem services at all levels, in alignment with multilateral commitments, national policies and priorities, including by mobilizing diverse and sustainable sources of finance and encouraging initiatives that contribute to the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of ecosystems. Those efforts must ensure fair and equitable sharing of benefits for Indigenous Peoples and local communities, as applicable, who play a key role in the provision of these services.

28. We draw attention to the fact that the BRICS countries account for almost 43% of the world’s forests of all types, with the forest growing stock exceeding 42,8% of the world’s forest growing stock. We note that the coverage of forests and their types vary across the BRICS countries and acknowledge the efforts each member country contributes towards sustainable management of forests of all types. We underscore the critical role of all types of forests, including tropical forests, for conserving biodiversity, preserving water basins and soils, providing timber and non- timber forest products of high value for economic sectors, regulating hydrological cycles, as well as combating desertification and serving as vital carbon sinks. We take note of the “United for Our Forests” initiative, which promotes the conservation, sustainable management, and restoration of these essential tropical ecosystems.

29. We reaffirm that BRICS countries have considerable expertise in sustainable forest management and governance, making use of scientific research and advanced technology, as well as good experience in successfully addressing forest-related challenges and goals, and encourage enhancing BRICS cooperation in sharing experience and conducting research related to forestry and other forest-related issues.

30. We encourage developing payments for ecosystem services schemes and programs in an inclusive and transparent manner, ensuring the full, equitable, meaningful, and informed participation of all relevant stakeholders. These may include, as appropriate, Indigenous Peoplesand local communities, women and girls, youth, civil society organizations, and the private and financial sectors, where relevant, while taking into account national legal frameworks and circumstances.

31. We underscore the urgent need to foster international cooperation for nature conservation and restoration, including through securing reliable and predictable long-term funding, enhancing capacity-building efforts and technical support, and developing or scaling up innovative financial mechanisms in a flexible and inclusive manner, taking into account the specific challenges and needs of developing countries.

32. We encourage innovative mechanisms that seek to mobilize new and diverse sources of funding to pay for ecosystem services. As such, we take note of the plans to establish the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) as presented by Brazil to the BRICS EWG and acknowledge the Facility as an innovative tool for forest conservation.

SYNERGIES WITH 2030 AGENDA AND CLIMATE CHANGE

33. We stress the importance of enhancing cooperation and synergies among related multilateral conventions, organizations and instruments, including the three Rio Conventions, in a manner respectful of their respective mandates and avoiding double-counting, with a view to identify common challenges, opportunities and solutions for achieving global objectives.

Plastic Pollution and Waste

34. We underscore the need for cooperation among our academic and scientific communities to work on plastic pollution mitigation and explore any possible environmental co-benefits, including those related to the climate system, while taking into account sustainable development needs of countries and respective national circumstances and capabilities. In accordance with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we reaffirm our commitment to cooperating on best practices and best available techniques for sustainable consumption and production patterns andwaste management, (SDG 12), as well as the sustainable use of the oceans and seas and coastal zones (SDG 14). We support the promotion of circular economy approaches that minimize waste generation while ensuring the efficient use of natural resources. By advancing and sharing innovative and sustainable solutions, the BRICS countries will play a key role in fostering environmental resilience.

Desertification, Land Degradation, and Drought

35. Climate change contributes to increased temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns, exacerbating desertification, land degradation, and drought. These impacts further degrade ecosystems, reducing soil fertility and agricultural productivity. In line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, addressing desertification, land degradation and drought is essential not only for safeguarding ecosystems but also for improving food security, water resources, and the livelihoods of people in vulnerable situations. The synergies between climate action, combating desertification and land degradation, and mitigating the effects of drought highlight the importance of global cooperation in achieving SDG 15 (Life on Land). To this end we acknowledge the adoption of UNCCD Decision 7/COP.16, which, among other measures, requests further collaboration among the three Rio Conventions, with a view to exchanging technical information on options for minimizing the reporting burden, including identifying relevant indicators that link desertification, land degradation, drought, loss of biodiversity and climate change.

Preservation, Restoration and Valuation of Ecosystem Services

36. By incentivizing the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of ecosystems, Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes can contribute to enhancing carbon sinks, conserving biodiversity, and improving local resilience to the impacts of climate change. PES contributes to achieving SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land), as it provides financial incentives to safeguard natural resources that contribute to climate changemitigation and adaptation. These mechanisms also support those in vulnerable situations and those most dependent on biodiversity, by promoting sustainable livelihoods and aligning conservation with economic growth and social inclusion. We thus encourage scaling upcooperation in exchanging experiences and the lessons learned in designing and implementing PES initiatives, which will enhance climate resilience and disaster risk reduction, leaving no one behind, while supporting sustainable development in its three dimensions.

CONCLUSION

37. We express our gratitude to the Federative Republic of Brazil as the host of the 11th BRICS Environment Minister Meeting and welcome the invitation of the Republic of India to host the 12th BRICS Environment Minister Meeting.

Fonte: Ministério do Meio Ambiente e Mudança do Clima