BRICS countries reaffirm commitment to implement Paris deal

BEIJING: BRICS countries' environment ministers have reaffirmed their commitment to the implementation of the Paris Climate deal despite the withdrawal of the US from the accord.

Environment ministers and senior officials of BRICS countries who met in China's Tianjin city for discussions, pledged more efforts for sustainable development and pollution prevention.

Senior environment officials from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa discussed major challenges and opportunities towards achieving sustainable development in three dimensions -- economic, social and environmental -- at country, regional and global levels, a statement was quoted by the state-run Xinhua news agency as saying.

"We underscore the need for means of implementing Paris Agreement, including transfer of technology from developed to developing countries as one of the most critical enabler for climate actions," the statement said.

"We appreciate that the conservation and sustainable use of the rich biodiversity of BRICS countries is of special significance for the global environment and to achieve the internationally agreed targets and goals," it said.

The officials reiterated their intention to promote cooperation within BRICS in the area of pollution prevention, it added.