At the 12th BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting under India's BRICS 2026 Chairship, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav, along with Heads of Delegations from BRICS member countries, unveiled four knowledge compendiums prepared by the BRICS Environment Working Group. These documents represent the outcome of constructive deliberations and reflect national experiences, leading practices, and innovative solutions among BRICS Member Countries including Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, South Africa, and the UAE.
The first compendium on Promoting Sustainable Lifestyles serves as a collective knowledge repository documenting how BRICS countries are translating sustainable lifestyles into practical action through policy innovation, behavioral change initiatives, environmental education, community participation, sustainable consumption and production, circular economy approaches, ecosystem restoration, clean energy transitions, and green development programs. India's contributions include Mission LiFE, the Environment Education Programme, and the SAMBHAV Campaign, reflecting its whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to citizen-led sustainable lifestyles.
The second compendium on Best Practices and Innovative Approaches for Integrated Fire Management addresses the global challenge of increasing wildfire frequency and intensity due to changing climate conditions, prolonged droughts, and rising temperatures. This document shares experiences, innovative solutions, and practical approaches from community-led prevention and indigenous knowledge to early warning systems, technology, preparedness, and coordinated response for Integrated Wildfire Management.
The third compendium on Integrated Landscape-Based Greening Approaches brings together experiences and policy approaches from BRICS Member Countries in addressing interconnected challenges of land degradation, desertification, biodiversity loss, and climate change. It highlights landscape-based interventions that integrate ecosystem restoration with biodiversity conservation and identifies areas for strengthened BRICS cooperation including knowledge sharing, capacity building, technical cooperation, collaborative research, and development of common approaches for monitoring and assessment.
The fourth compendium on Extended Producer Responsibility Frameworks and Leading Circular Economy Practices brings together experiences, policy approaches, regulatory instruments, and institutional models from BRICS countries in addressing the transition toward a circular and resource-efficient economy. It showcases India's transition toward a market-based Extended Producer Responsibility architecture supported by centralized digital platforms and framework expansions covering diverse waste streams. The compendium also identifies key areas for BRICS cooperation including knowledge sharing, digital traceability solutions, technical capacity building, and development of circular business models.
Together, these four knowledge products embody the spirit of BRICS cooperation and provide actionable blueprints for peer learning, joint research, and multilateral cooperation to advance environmental sustainability across member nations.