BRICS’ Solar, Storage Push Faces Implementation Test Without Clear Roadmap

BRICS recently concluded its 18th Summit in New Delhi under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” Through this summit the bloc is expanding its role beyond economic cooperation into areas such as clean energy, technology, skills development and social infrastructure. BRICS is already experiencing significant clean-energy growth, but its energy transition remains uneven because fossil-fuel development continues. The New Delhi Declaration expands cooperation on solar, storage, smart grids, critical minerals and other areas, but largely stops at voluntary cooperation rather than setting clear targets, funding, timelines or implementation mechanisms. Therefore, the real test is whether BRICS can turn its existing clean-energy momentum into coordinated, measurable action. Bloc Sees Unever Energy Transition BRICS's uneven development can be seen based on the solar generation which rose by 39% between January and April, compared with the same period in 2024 led by China, India and Brazil. They maintained momentum of previous years, but are now seeing uneven energy transition. While solar generation has expanded, some BRICS members continue to add fossil-fuel generation. China and India recorded smaller-than-average additions, while the US rebounded from a fall in 2023. Later, world’s three largest power consumers—China, India and the US—saw an increase in fossil-fuel generation in 2024, while the world’s fourth-largest power consumer, the European Union, recorded a decline. Against this backdrop, the latest three-day summit resulted in the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration among BRICS members. The declaration sets out several areas for cooperation across energy, technology, critical minerals, transport and other sectors. Yet, it offers limited clarity on concrete implementation mechanisms, timelines and measurable outcomes. This gap between ambition and execution is particularly relevant to the energy sector. Key areas of cooperation The bloc also sought to broaden cooperation through initiatives such as BRICS CONNECT , which aims to promote skills, employability, women’s participation in the workforce, social security and capacity building. However, the declaration provides limited clarity on financial commitments, implementation mechanisms or specific joint programmes to translate these ambitions into measurable outcomes. Some of the key areas of cooperation include: 1. BRICS Highlights Critical Minerals Without Clear Supply-Chain Measures The declaration recognises the key role of critical minerals in the development of zero- and low-emission energy technologies, energy security and the resilience of energy supply chains. While this recognition is significant given the growing importance of critical minerals to renewable energy, batteries and other clean-energy technologies. But, the declaration does not establish specific targets or implementation mechanisms for strengthening critical-mineral cooperation. 2.BRICS Buids Solar Photovoltaic Cooperation BRICS encouraged its members to leverage established mechanisms to advance cooperation in areas of mutual interest. It developed BRICS Solar Photovoltaic Cooperation Roadmap to identify priority areas for technology cooperation, financing and capacity building. Its currrently attempting to build a action plan to identify initiatives on smart factory development, solution sharing, standard cooperation and talent cultivationthrough an Intelligent Manufacturing and Robotics Working Group. 3. Digitalisation, smart grids and energy storage One of the more relevant areas for the renewable energy sector is the declaration’s recognition of the growing role of digitalisation in energy systems. It highlights technologies such as artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics, which could improve system planning, grid management, renewable energy integration, operational efficiency and cyber resilience. In this regard, BRICS welcomed the BRICS Guiding Principles on Smart Grids and Energy Storage. It also noted the Chairship’s initiative to establish the BRICS Digital Centre of Excellence for Smart Grids and Energy Storage under the Smart Grids Workstream of the BRICS Energy Research Cooperation Platform (ERCP). The initiative could provide a platform for knowledge sharing and technical cooperation. However, the declaration describes the proposed centre as an enabling voluntary dialogue mechanism, suggesting that its immediate role is likely to focus more on cooperation and knowledge exchange than on binding implementation. 4. Transport decarbonisation and sustainable aviation The declaration also identifies areas of cooperation including the BRICS Forum on Sustainable Aviation Fuels and the BRICS Framework of Cooperation for Exchange of Knowledge on Transport Decarbonisation, including through the use of renewable energy potential. It also supports the establishment of the BRICS Urban Mobility Hub for knowledge exchange and cooperation on accessible and affordable urban mobility. 5. Renewable energy markets The declaration also refers to discussions under the theme “Strengthening Cooperation to Promote Fair Competition, including in Renewable Energy Markets,” with the stated objective of supporting sustainable energy transitions. The language, however, remains largely centred on recognising, encouraging and supporting cooperation rather than establishing binding commitments. This leaves the effectiveness of the initiatives dependent on how individual BRICS members translate the broad framework into national policies, investments and projects. Overall, the New Delhi Declaration expands the scope of BRICS cooperation across solar PV, energy storage, smart grids, critical minerals, digitalisation and low-carbon technologies. But its significance for the energy transition will ultimately depend less on the number of areas identified for cooperation and more on whether these commitments develop into defined programmes, funding mechanisms, implementation timelines and measurable outcomes.