BRICS to set up joint working group for environment issues

The environment ministers of BRICS nations on Friday announced setting up of a joint working group, institutionalising their mutual cooperation on green issues.

The ministers, who met in South Goa during the two-day meeting, also agreed on a memorandum of understanding (MoU).

"We have finalised the MoU and have reached on some conclusions which are necessary for the future in light of UNFCCC and the Paris agreement," Union Environment Minister Anil Dave told reporters.

"BRICS has a major role in the global area, particularly (for) air quality, water management, waste management. These are the areas where we had some agreement.

"We agreed with each other. Technology transfer is one of them, because technology and finance are the major issues if you want to mitigate the objects, goals," Dave said.

He said the heads of the states will meet again during the BRICS summit in Goa and will discuss the matter.

Dave said countries which are advanced in specific technologies will try and transfer that technology to others.

"There is a proposal from China that in April next year, technocrats and those who have specialised command on the subject will meet in Beijing," he added.

Dave said the BRICS countries have "hundred per cent agreement of all the parties on the issues related to environment."

The Minister termed climate change as a "serious concern".

"Sudden remedies for climate change are not possible. In the longer run, we see unpredictable changes in atmosphere, especially in the behaviour of the sea, crop patters," Dave said.

"I am happy to inform you that we have agreed that each and every water body or each and every river of the country must be preserved properly so that safe, clean drinking water should be available to the entire society," he said.