Environmental protection and the rational use of natural resources are among the key challenges facing humanity in the modern world. They are enshrined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) for 2030. In particular, this document calls for limiting global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, preferably to 1.5 degrees.
Since the SDGs were signed, many countries have allocated significant resources to combating the effects of climate change. The BRICS countries are no exception: they are financing large-scale environmental protection programmes.
According to data from an independent Brazilian think tank, since 2015 the New Development Bank (NDB) has allocated US$2.4 million to various climate initiatives.
It is also worth mentioning the 2015 Paris Agreement, which the G20 countries fully support, demonstrating their commitment to achieving its main goals.
China’s green development
In recent years, China’s economic growth rate has largely outpaced that of developed countries, where there is a trend towards slowing growth. According to data from the country’s National Bureau of Statistics, China’s economy grew by 5 per cent in 2024.
With the growth of GDP and industrial production, carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere are also increasing. At the same time, Beijing is implementing an ambitious environmental strategy aimed at reducing the impact of industry and human activity on the environment.
A report by one of the world’s research organisations states that in 2024, the Chinese leadership allocated 6.8 trillion yuan (more than US$950 billion) to the development of green energy, including investments in electric vehicles, the production of environmentally friendly electricity and improving energy efficiency.
Anastasia Simonova, a specialist at the Expert Council on Culture of the Youth Parliament under the State Duma of the Russian Federation, emphasised in a commentary for TV BRICS that the Chinese leadership pays great attention to the environmental agenda. According to her, a large-scale environmental project on afforestation, called “Three-North”, is being implemented in the country. Thanks to this project, the area of forests in China has increased by more than 30 million hectares over the past 10 years.
“Measures are regularly taken to reduce industrial emissions into the environment, including coal, which is the main driver of China’s industrial development. The country has also set itself the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060,” she stated.
The expert noted that the Chinese government actively supports the preservation of national parks and biodiversity. Work is being carried out in two areas: the creation of new parks with a comfortable habitat for local animals and the comprehensive protection of existing parks with a special focus on their flora and fauna.
However, renewable energy sources remain the main item of expenditure in the field of ecology and sustainable development. Significant funds are being invested in the development of solar, hydro and wind energy.
“It is worth mentioning another area of expenditure in the field of ecology – green construction. It is closely related to energy-saving technologies, but the emphasis is on engineering and architectural developments and the subsequent implementation of energy-efficient buildings,” added the expert.
For example, China recently commissioned the world’s first zero-carbon office complex. The 117-metre skyscraper consumes about 6,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity, which is processed by green energy systems built into the building.
Russia’s experience. Water resource protection
Russia is not lagging behind other countries in environmental issues. According to the analytical service of one of the audit and consulting networks, in 2023, Russian enterprises spent a record 1.3 trillion roubles (US$16.19 billion) on environmental protection.
In 2024, according to the law “On the Federal Budget for 2024 and the Planning Period 2025 and 2026,” budget allocations for environmental protection in the country amounted to 477.5 billion roubles (US$5.9 billion). In 2025, it is planned to spend 473 billion roubles (US$5.8 billion), and in 2026 – 522.7 billion roubles (US$6.5 billion).
In addition, Russia has unique natural resources. Its forests, rivers and lakes are of particular importance. There are about 2.8 million rivers and more than 2 million lakes throughout the country.
Aleksandra Kudzagova, Deputy Chair of the Public Council of the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet), told the international media network that the main set of environmental initiatives in Russia is concentrated in the national project “Environmental Well-being.”
“These measures involve the creation of a closed-loop economy, a twofold reduction in emissions of hazardous pollutants into the air and discharges of contaminated wastewater into water bodies. Over the six years of the project’s implementation, more than 1.2 trillion roubles in funding has been announced, of which more than 800 billion roubles will come from the federal budget,” Kudzagova stated.
She added that Russia’s cooperation with the BRICS countries in the field of ecology is gradually moving to a practical level. In particular, at the 2025 summit in Brazil, the climate contact group, created at a meeting of the ministers of ecology of the association’s countries, presented the BRICS Climate Leadership Agenda, an action programme for the coming years. In addition, ahead of the summit in Rio de Janeiro, the group’s countries supported the creation of the Tropical Forests Forever Fund, which will be launched at the 30th UN Climate Conference in Belem in November 2025.
“There are plans to create a common platform for the exchange of knowledge, experience and innovation between the countries of the group, as well as a green investment fund,” the expert concluded.
India. Large-scale environmental protection programmes
In February 2025, the Indian government informed the country’s parliament that the republic had received US$1.16 billion for climate projects through the financial mechanism of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
As Kudzagova notes, for India, as the most populous country in the world, issues of sustainable development are of particular importance.
“The Indian leadership emphasises the right of each state to independently determine its own energy priorities. Indians understand perfectly well that despite significant achievements in the field of nuclear and renewable energy, coal will continue to be used in the country for a long time to come,” she said.
The expert recalled that on 1 July 2022, India introduced a ban on the sale, production and import of 19 types of single-use plastic products. In addition, the authorities announced their intention to completely phase out petrol and diesel cars by 2030, switching to electric vehicles.
Another of the most notable and large-scale environmental initiatives in the republic is the government programme to improve sanitary conditions in residential buildings, called “Clean India” or “Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM)”.
Overall, as emphasised by the deputy chair of the Public Council at Roshydromet, India’s participation in the BRICS environmental dialogue reflects the country’s focus on the transition to a green economy, responsible financing, sustainable agriculture, rational use of water resources and the development of the digital economy.
Photo: phakphum patjangkata, Weedezign, Ralf Hahn, zhaubasar, photka / iStock
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