The BRICS group of major emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – emitted a record 1.98 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide from power generation during the first quarter of 2024, data from energy think tank Ember shows.
That emissions toll was roughly 500 million tons greater than the entire emissions load generated by the rest of the world combined and highlights the diverging pollution trends between key fast-growing economies and most developed countries.
A compounding concern for emissions trackers is a potential deterioration in trade relations between BRICS members and the United States and its allies, and the possibility that BRICS members prioritize economic growth over decarbonization efforts.
Together, the BRICS countries account for more than 40% of the world’s population and around a quarter of the global economy, and so hold significant clout when banded together.
The bloc was founded as an informal club in 2009 to challenge a world order dominated by western economies, and over 40 other countries including Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Kazakhstan have expressed interest in joining the forum.
If the current BRICS group opts to incorporate aspiring members, the new club could have the means to largely ignore western economic pressure to reduce pollution, as growing trade and investment within the new BRICS bloc could provide a shield against blowback by western-affiliated trade partners.
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