Editorial 1: The BRICS journey — gaining heft while in transition

Context

There is a realisation now that increased membership has the potential to enhance the influence of this plurilateral grouping.

Introduction

How things change within a year. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin made only a brief digital appearance at the BRICS 2023 summit in Johannesburg, despite host South Africa’s decision to provide him diplomatic immunity against an ICC-issued arrest warrant linked to the Ukraine war. As the host and Chair of the summit this year, Mr. Putin dominated the show. The three-day summit pushed news about the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia to the back pages.

Survival and a rejuvenation

• Historical Context: The summit in Kazan, Russia (October 22-24, 2024) was the sixteenth in a series that began in 2009.
  • Only four countries — Brazil, Russia, India and China — participated in the first two summits.
  • South Africa joined the group at the third summit in 2011, giving it its present name, BRICS.
• Challenges in the second decade: The first decade recorded several accomplishments,
  • but the second decade began on a difficult note.
  • The outbreak of COVID-19 put China on the defensive;
  • then the bloody clash between Chinese and Indian troops in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 brought ties between two member-states to a new low; finally,
  • Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 triggered Moscow’s confrontation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
  • All this made the grouping vulnerable.
• Expansion and growth: Yet, it survived and showed signs of rejuvenation.
  • The 15th summit’s decision on expansion led to five new members: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Egypt, and Ethiopia.
  • A disclosure by Mr. Putin that 34 more nations are desirous of joining the grouping signifies that BRICS is headed upwards.
  • Post-summit, the Russian projection was that this grouping represents the ‘Global Majority.’

What is the Assessment of the Kazan Summit?

• This transition trajectory needs to be factored in while assessing the outcomes of the Kazan summit and their broad implications for the world.
• BRICS does not strive to create a new world order. It just wants to reform the present one so that it works for everyone.
• The grouping is driven by “the BRICS spirit”, which is imbued with eight specific characteristics:
  • mutual respect and understanding;
  • sovereign equality; solidarity;
  • democracy;
  • openness;
  • inclusiveness;
  • collaboration, and
  • consensus.
• It is committed to promoting intra-BRICS cooperation under three verticals:
  • political and security;
  • economic and financial, and
  • cultural and people-to-people cooperation.

What is the current composition and focus?

• BRICS, initially a grouping of emerging economies, is now primarily a platform for Emerging Markets and Developing Countries (EMDCs).
• It is a combined grouping of the east and the south, juxtaposed to the Global North.
• There are notable anti-western tendencies within the BRICS, but its moderate members are committed to safeguarding its non-western orientation.

What key issues were discussed at Kazan?

• United Nations Reform: Pushing for comprehensive United Nations reform, the grouping devised at Johannesburg a careful formulation to support the aspirations of countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America, “including the BRICS countries” (meaning India, Brazil and South Africa) to play a more significant role in the UN, including its Security Council.
  •  This remained unchanged at Kazan; no further improvement was registered in favour of the three aspirants. None was expected as China’s reluctance to go beyond this formula is an open secret.
• Unilateral economic sanctions: Another significant element was the grouping’s call for the elimination of unilateral economic sanctions.
• It depicts them as unilateral measures, aptly highlighting that they are contrary to international law and have far-reaching implications for human rights.

Verticals and their focus

• West asia conflict: On the first vertical relating to peace and security, the summit focused on the conflict in West Asia, to which several paragraphs were devoted in the declaration.
  • Paragraph 30 has scathing criticism for Israel’s actions without any reference to the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas.
  • The grouping has called for
    • an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire,
    • unconditional release of all hostages, and
    • the establishment of an independent ‘State of Palestine’.
  • Israel, whose military dominance of the region continues, was not impressed. Its response came in the form of a direct air attack on Iran, a member of BRICS.
  • War in Ukraine: With Russia as the chair of BRICS, the grouping said much less about the continuing war in Ukraine.
    • Members were content with reiterating their national positions and calling for the end of war through dialogue and diplomacy while underlining the need to address “the root causes” of conflicts.
• Economic and financial cooperation: On the second vertical of economic and financial cooperation, the common currency issue received maximum attention.
  • The use of local currencies in financial transactions between BRICS countries and their trading partners will be facilitated further.
  • However, the issue of deeper financial and banking cooperation will continue to be studied by the Finance ministries of the member-states.
  • New Development Bank: With Saudi Arabia still hesitant about joining BRICS fully, initial expectations of a massive capital injection into the New Development Bank remain unfulfilled.
  • Therefore, the leaders restricted themselves to suggesting further improvement in the bank’s workings and expressing their commitment to develop it into “a new type of MDB in the 21st century.”
• People-to-People cooperation: The third vertical aims to strengthen people-to-people exchanges for social and economic development.
  • Cooperation involving sports, culture, parliaments, civil society, business, and think tanks could have a beneficial long-term impact.
• BRICS Expansion: Finally, a crucial decision related to the grouping’s expansion.
  • The outreach session was held on the last day, with the participation of 34 states.
  • Having approved the guidelines and criteria, a new category of ‘partner state’ was created.
  • Thirteen countries have been invited to join the grouping as partner states.
    • Latin America: Cuba and Bolivia;
    • Eurasia: Belarus and Türkiye;
    • Africa: Algeria, Nigeria, and Uganda;
    • Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam; and
    • Central Asia: Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
  • Clearly, the third expansion will further augment the BRICS family’s share of the world population, international trade and GDP.
  • Between now and the next summit in Brazil in 2025, most of these states may be included as partners, but they are expected to clamour for their early elevation as full members.
  • Hence, the transition may continue for some more time.

From India’s lens

• BRICS among India’s top plurilateral groupings: From India’s perspective, BRICS figures among the top six plurilateral groupings today —
  • G-20,
  • Quad,
  • BRICS,
  • BIMSTEC (The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation),
  • G-7 (where India has a nearly permanent guest status), and
  • the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
• Strategic Benefits of BRICS for India
  • Promotion of multipolarity: BRICS helps India to promote multipolarity in the world.
  • Strategic autonomy: exercise its strategic autonomy, deepen its relations with Russia, and effectively advocate the interests and agenda of the Global South
  • Strengthening relations with Russia: In addition, the latest summit served as a useful platform for the first meeting in about five years between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping.
  • Bilateral negotiations resulted in an agreement on border patrolling arrangements and disengagement.
  • Advocacy for Global South: Hence, this meeting, held on the summit’s sidelines, heralded the beginning of a rapprochement between New Delhi and Beijing.
    • As China-India relations improve, the strategic space for India to deal with its western partners may also expand.

Conclusion

India attaches a high degree of importance to making BRICS an effective instrument for international cooperation. This nation has made a tangible contribution in this direction and is eager to continue doing so. Initial caution over expansion has now been replaced by a sober calculation that increased membership, if handled properly, will enhance the influence of this plurilateral grouping. Above all, BRICS allows India to serve as a bridge between the west and the east and between the north and the south, thus turning New Delhi into a geopolitical sweet spot today.

Editorial 2: Staying cool, but with clean tech, global collaborations

Context

International cooperation on clean energy and cooling solutions is another crucial step in addressing the climate crisis.

Introduction

In a rapidly warming world, cooling is not merely a luxury but a necessity, especially for vulnerable populations. International cooperation on clean energy and cooling solutions is a crucial step toward addressing the climate crisis. On September 21, 2024, the Quad nations (Australia, India, Japan, and the United States) issued the Wilmington Declaration, which underscores the Quad’s commitment to sustainable energy solutions, particularly focusing on high-efficiency cooling systems.

• This aligns with the earlier joint statement by India and the U.S.,
  • which detailed a road map for building resilient and
  • secure global clean energy supply chains, placing a special emphasis on clean cooling technologies.
• Both statements highlight the urgent need to deploy affordable and energy-efficient cooling systems in climate-vulnerable regions while advancing global climate goals.
• India’s leadership: in these efforts is particularly noteworthy.
  • As part of the Quad’s clean energy initiatives, India has pledged significant investments in solar and cooling infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific region.
  • Along with the U.S. and India’s joint plan to expand manufacturing capacities for high-efficiency air-conditioners and ceiling fans,
    • these developments could significantly reduce the climate impact of cooling systems.

Cooling-related emissions

• Broader relevance of international efforts: The broader relevance of these international efforts can be seen through the lens of
  • The Montreal Protocol and its Kigali Amendment (2016), which already set a precedent for collective global action on cooling-related emissions.
  • As global temperatures rise, increasing demand for cooling makes it imperative for the world to adopt the lessons of these frameworks,
  • Frameworks for reducing harmful emissions while transitioning to sustainable alternatives.
• Expanded scope of the Kigali amendment: The Kigali Amendment expanded its scope to target hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), potent greenhouse gases used in cooling appliances.
  • Left unchecked, HFCs could contribute to 0.52°C of warming by 2100. Maximising the Kigali Amendment’s impact requires aligning the HFC phase-down with energy efficiency improvements.
  • More efficient cooling systems could deliver about two-thirds of total greenhouse gas reductions by cutting electricity consumption.
  • This would reduce emissions, lower air pollution from fossil fuel power plants, and save costs for manufacturers and consumers.
• Climate change has heightened two critical threats related to cooling:
  • the indirect emissions from inefficient air-conditioning and refrigeration systems powered by fossil fuels, and
  • the direct emissions from harmful refrigerants.
• Need for integrated efforts: However, many countries still lack integrated energy efficiency and refrigerant standards.
  • High-efficiency air conditioners using climate-friendly refrigerants are available, but inefficient models using outdated refrigerants still dominate many markets.
  • Without stronger regulations, developing nations risk becoming dumping grounds for these inefficient appliances, exacerbating climate and energy challenges.

Having a mission-mode approach

• Urgent Need for Cooling in India: In 2024, parts of India experienced temperatures over 50°C, underscoring the need for cooling to ensure thermal comfort, preserve food, medical supplies, and industrial processes.
  •  India, one of the most climate-vulnerable nations, faces increasingly severe heatwaves that endanger millions.
  • By 2030, an estimated 160 million to 200 million Indians could face deadly heatwaves annually.
  • The country’s workforce, heavily exposed to extreme heat, risks significant declines in productivity, health, and food security.
  • Cooling demand is expected to surge, with air conditioner sales rising 16% for every degree over 30°C.
  • By 2050, India may have the world’s highest cooling demand, with over 1.14 billion air conditioners in use.
• India’s commitment to climate-friendly cooling: India ratified the Kigali Amendment in 2021, committing to reduce HFCs by 85% by 2047.
  • The India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) targets a 20%-25% reduction in cooling demand, 25-40% in energy consumption, and a shift to low-global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants, demonstrating leadership in climate-friendly cooling.
• Need for a mission-mode approach: A mission-mode approach is needed to tackle these challenges.
  • A national mission for sustainable cooling would require focused leadership, cross-sectoral collaboration, and coordinated efforts across ministries.
  • Establishing an inter-ministerial working group, planning a launch event, and allocating an initial budget are essential.
  • National capacity-building initiatives and dedicated budget lines must follow for long-term success.

COP29 and the momentum of COP28

• International commitmentsto cleanenergy cooling are encouraging, but technologies must remain affordable.
  • The U.S.-India partnership and the Quad’s initiatives emphasise deployment and local manufacturing of high-efficiency cooling systems. T
  • he challenge is in ensuring equitable access, particularly in developing regions where cooling needs are the greatest.
  • Rising global temperatures require scaling up energy-efficient solutions without straining fragile electricity grids or leaving vulnerable populations behind.
• India’s proactive approach to cooling challenges, especially through the ICAP, positions it as a global leader in sustainable cooling.
  • The country can protect its population from heat while leading the global fight against climate change, ensuring thermal comfort for all.

Conclusion

At COP28 (Dubai), 63 countries pledged to reduce cooling emissions by 68% by 2050. The Global Cooling Pledge, though non-binding, could provide cooling access to 3.5 billion people by 2050 and save $17 trillion in energy costs. However, global action must accelerate to make this a reality. COP29 must build on the momentum of COP28 by expanding cooling commitments. This includes increasing participation in the Global Cooling Pledge and enhancing partnerships across sectors and nations.