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Brazil-India climate dialogue: Forging a Global South climate partnership
- tania1413
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
In an era where climate change poses a universal threat but demands localised action, the Brazil-India Climate Dialogue stands as a bold and timely initiative uniting two emerging economies to co-create solutions.
Held on 21–25 April 2025 in India as part of the Climate Parliament’s Empowering Parliamentarians to Accelerate Energy Transition (EPET) Project, the visit was co-partnered by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). The event brought together key legislators from Brazil and India to catalyse climate action through South-South cooperation.
With Brazil preparing to host both BRICS and COP30, and India surging ahead in clean energy transitions, this collaboration sets the stage for a unified Global South voice in climate governance. The core objective of the Brazil-India Climate Dialogue was to build a strategic, long-term climate partnership. Beyond rhetoric, this high-level interaction sought to develop concrete frameworks for cooperation in areas such as green hydrogen, climate finance, circular waste management, and climate resilient infrastructure.
Building trust and vision- 21 April 2025
The week-long engagement commenced with a dinner between the visiting Brazilian Parliamentarians, with Indian renewable energy governance decision makers. The evening fostered a sense of mutual respect and camaraderie. It helped build trust, encouraged open dialogue, and set a collaborative tone for the meaningful exchanges that followed in the days ahead.
Key highlights of the dinner discussions included:
Mutual insights on national priorities: Parliamentarians shared perspectives on climate policies and energy transitions in Brazil and India, fostering deeper understanding of each other’s contexts.
Brazilian MPs expressed interest in partnering with the International Solar Alliance, particularly on digital energy access, welcomed by Indian counterparts as a basis for future cooperation.
Discussions touched on coordination through BRICS and COP30, with the Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation’s initiative cited as a possible model for regional energy integration in Latin America.
Climate industry dialogue- 22 April, Delhi
A high-impact roundtable, co-hosted with CII, convened leading figures from India’s green energy sector alongside Indian and Brazilian legislators. Indian industry leaders and lawmakers shared practical insights drawn from India’s renewable energy journey, including:
Strategies for reducing costs in renewable energy and storage.
Scalable green technologies suited to emerging economy contexts.
Innovative financial models to unlock climate investment.
The synergy between bold private investment, technological advancement, and enabling policy frameworks.
Brazilian legislators engaged deeply with these discussions, noting the strong alignment with Brazil’s climate ambitions. They expressed particular interest in India’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models and signalled intent to explore their adaptation within Brazil, reflecting the growing potential for cross-regional collaboration grounded in mutual learning and shared goals.
RESustainability waste management facility- 23 April, Hyderabad
The Brazilian parliamentary delegation, alongside Indian legislators, visited RESustainability’s advanced waste management facility in Hyderabad. This field visit offered an in-depth look at India’s urban waste management innovations, featuring:
Engineered landfills and modern waste-to-energy infrastructure,
Integrated recycling and material recovery systems.
Circular economy frameworks that embed sustainability into municipal operations.
The delegation engaged in rich discussions with RESustainability’s operating and leadership teams, exploring how such models could be adapted to other cities in India and Brazil, particularly through well-structured PPPs. The RESustainability team welcomed the interest and expressed readiness to explore collaborative opportunities including with Brazilian municipalities. The visit reinforced a shared commitment between India and Brazil to transform urban waste from a challenge into a resource, and showcased how clean, technology-driven solutions can support sustainable development in both countries.
CII Green Business Centre- 23 April, Hyderabad
Continuing the programme co-hosted with CII, the Brazilian parliamentary delegation and Indian legislators visited the CII Green Business Centre (GBC) in Hyderabad to explore India’s leadership in green construction and sustainable building practices. The visit highlighted key innovations and frameworks driving India’s green building movement, including:
The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) certification system and sustainable construction standards.
Advances in low-carbon cement, alternative building materials, and circular design approaches.
Scalable solutions for affordable green housing and climate-resilient public infrastructure.
The delegation engaged in substantive dialogue with CII-GBC experts on technical cooperation, knowledge exchange, and pathways for policy alignment. Notably, CII-GBC offered support for exploratory projects, highlighting its readiness to scale green infrastructure across the Global South. This exchange deepened mutual understanding of sustainable construction practices and opened new avenues for cross-regional collaboration rooted in innovation and inclusivity.
Greenko’s Integrated Renewable Energy project- 24 April, Andhra Pradesh
The Indo-Brazil legislator delegation visited Greenko’s Pinnapuram facility, India’s largest integrated renewable energy storage hub, showcasing a blend of solar, wind and pumped hydro power technologies.
Delegates were particularly impressed by:
The facility’s ability to deliver round-the-clock renewable energy at globally competitive rates.
The supportive policy frameworks that enabled swift and seamless project execution.
The potential to attract and co-locate energy-intensive industries such as green steel and aluminium manufacturing.
The visit catalysed a constructive dialogue on opportunities for joint ventures, technology transfer, and the potential replication of pumped storage systems in Brazil, capitalising on the country’s abundant hydropower resources. This exchange underscored the shared commitment to advancing clean energy innovation and deepening bilateral cooperation.
Key discussions between the delegations
Climate finance and investment strategies
India’s experience in climate finance offered valuable insights for Brazil, with discussions focused on:
Adapting Indian models to unlock green investments in Brazil.
Mobilising low-cost capital for impactful climate projects.
Establishing knowledge exchange mechanisms between legislative and financial institutions.
Green hydrogen and biofuels cooperation
Brazilian legislators expressed strong interest in India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission, exploring opportunities for:
Joint legislative oversight and policy alignment.
Harmonising standards and facilitating technology transfer.
Creating bilateral R&D platforms to accelerate innovation.
Green Zones as innovation hubs
The dialogue proposed the establishment of “Green Zones” as incubators for clean technology, aimed at:
Attracting green investments through proven success models.
Promoting job creation and local economic development.
Serving as scalable blueprints for resilient and equitable climate transitions across the Global South.
Unified South-South leadership
Both delegations reaffirmed their commitment to:
Presenting a unified voice at COP30.
Advancing climate justice and equitable financing mechanisms.
Leading negotiation blocs and facilitating technical exchanges in international forums.
Path Forward
Climate Parliament summit in Rio
Scheduled for November 2025, the summit will:
Celebrate partnerships and successes initiated in India.
Deepen legislative cooperation and parliamentary diplomacy.
Strategise coordinated representation at COP30.
Institutionalising climate dialogue
The Brazil-India partnership will continue by:
Establishing channels for regular South-South parliamentary meetings, including on green hydrogen, finance, agriculture and waste.
Capacity building and technical support
Indian institutions, including CII-GBC and RESustainability committed to providing:
Pro-bono technical assistance.
Exchange programs for engineers and policymakers.
Insights on policy development and infrastructure design.
Scaling innovation and joint ventures
Future cooperation will prioritise:
Public-private partnerships and startup collaborations.
Cross-border projects in waste management, green hydrogen, and renewable energy storage.
Tailored bilateral investment and R&D programs addressing Global South needs.
The Brazil-India climate dialogue represents more than a diplomatic milestone, it serves as a practical model for collaborative climate action. By grounding their partnership in legislator-to-legislator innovation the opportunity to advance clean technology advancement, and people-centred policies. Both nations are not only preparing strategically for COP30 but are also helping to redefine climate leadership across the Global South.
As this partnership progresses toward the upcoming summit in Rio, the shared commitment of Brazil and India stands as a powerful example of how just, resilient, and inclusive energy transitions can be realised on a global scale.
