BRICS backs common hydrogen standards, carbon markets partnership

BRICS leaders pledged to develop interoperable hydrogen certification standards and establish a partnership on carbon markets, signaling a coordinated effort to shape clean energy trade flows and decarbonization, the Indian government said over the weekend.

The 18th BRICS Summit, held over Sept. 12-13 in New Delhi, under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," brought together leaders from the expanded bloc to advance cooperation across energy, climate and trade, according to statements from the Indian government.

The BRICS bloc is an intergovernmental organization of emerging economies whose founding members include Brazil, Russia, India and China.

"Pandemics, climate disasters and supply-chain disruptions have shown that in today's interconnected world, no crisis stays confined to one region," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during an address Sept. 13.

"That is why we have put special emphasis on increasing resilience within the BRICS group."

The New Delhi Declaration, issued Sept. 12, covered a range of policy commitments, including energy and climate provisions to support the development of environmental markets.

Diversified energy mix

The declaration highlighted the role of all available energy sources, resilient energy supply chains and enhanced cooperation among BRICS countries through deliberations under the energy track.

On hydrogen, the declaration encouraged "BRICS collaboration on interoperable standards and certification frameworks for zero/low-emissions hydrogen," and noted ongoing work on the BRICS Joint Report on hydrogen value chains.

The declaration underscored the importance of "balanced and diversified energy mixes reflecting national circumstances" and recognized the importance of the "widest" range of energy sources and technologies.

The declaration identified renewable energy, bioenergy, fossil fuels, nuclear power, hydropower, hydrogen, low-carbon solutions and energy storage technologies as important for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and energy security. It added that energy sources must not be limited to the technologies listed in the declaration.

Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed the India renewable hydrogen term contract at $3.22/kg on Sept. 10, down 0.6% month over month.

Carbon market cooperation

The declaration said it supported cooperation on carbon markets, with a specific focus on capacity building and the exchange of experiences, referring to the 2025 BRICS Leaders' Framework Declaration on Climate Finance.

The declaration also said it looked forward to implementing the memorandum of understanding on the BRICS Carbon Markets Partnership as a cooperative mechanism to support member countries.

"We acknowledge fossil fuels will still play an important role in the world's energy mix, particularly for emerging markets and developing economies," the declaration said. "We recognize the need to promote just, orderly, equitable and inclusive energy transitions and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with our climate goals."

In 2024, the BRICS Contact Group on Climate Change and Sustainable Development promoted an MOU on the BRICS partnership for carbon markets, according to the website of the then-BRICS host, the Russian Federation.

The MOU would enable BRICS countries to exchange experience in establishing carbon markets and implement joint climate projects, including issuing carbon units.

Energy security

The declaration highlighted the need to enhance energy security by ensuring stable energy markets and uninterrupted energy flows from diverse sources.

The declaration recognized the importance of strengthening value chains and ensuring the resilience and protection of critical energy infrastructure, including cross-border infrastructure.

The nations said they recognize the key role of critical minerals for the development of zero- and low-emission energy technologies, energy security and resilience of energy supply chains.

BRICS affirmed the need to promote reliable, responsible, diversified, resilient, fair, sustainable and just supply chains for critical minerals to "guarantee benefit-sharing, value addition and economic diversification in resource-rich countries."

This would be done while fully preserving countries' sovereign rights over their mineral resources, as well as their right to adopt, maintain and enforce measures necessary to pursue legitimate public policy objectives, according to the declaration.

In 2025, BRICS adopted a new climate finance framework that prioritizes funding for developing countries and condemned unilateral climate-linked trade measures, including carbon border adjustment mechanisms, as discriminatory protectionism.