The 18th BRICS summit, held in New Delhi on September 12–13, 2026, concluded with a 140-point joint declaration that explicitly acknowledges the role of nuclear energy in global energy security. The document, signed by leaders of the world’s major emerging economies, places nuclear power on an official list of technologies deemed essential for the transition toward a more stable and resilient energy system.
The declaration’s text emphasizes the importance of balanced and diversified energy mixes, recognizing that «the widest variety of energy sources and technologies» — including renewables, bioenergy, fossil fuels, nuclear energy, hydropower, hydrogen, and low-carbon technologies — is necessary to meet the needs of countries with very different energy profiles. This is no mere statement of principle: it marks the first time a bloc of this scale, representing over 40% of the world’s population, has adopted such an explicit pro-civil-nuclear stance as part of a shared energy strategy.
Under India’s 2026 presidency, the group held more than 400 meetings across 30 cities, with energy at the center of much of the agenda. Leaders welcomed the BRICS Guiding Principles on Smart Grids and Energy Storage and endorsed the establishment of a Digital Centre of Excellence for smart grids. The message is clear: BRICS nations want to build their own energy infrastructure, less dependent on Western supply chains — and nuclear power is a core component of that plan.
Among the declaration’s most significant provisions is a call for the protection of civilian nuclear facilities in armed conflict. Leaders reaffirmed that «nuclear safeguards, security, and safety must always be upheld, including during armed conflicts, to protect people and the environment.» This stance reflects the genuine concern of several member states — Russia and India chief among them — over the vulnerability of nuclear plants in war zones, a pressing issue in light of ongoing tensions surrounding Ukrainian nuclear facilities. The declaration also calls for the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones in the Middle East, drawing a clear line between peaceful civilian use of the atom and its military applications.
From a strategic standpoint, the 2026 BRICS declaration consolidates a trend already visible across major emerging-world capitals: India, China, Russia, Brazil, and the bloc’s newer members are all investing in nuclear power as a tool of energy sovereignty. India in particular is pursuing an ambitious nuclear expansion program and sees Kazakh uranium as a key resource for its plans. If this shared position translates into concrete technological cooperation — knowledge transfer, joint supply chains for modular reactors, bilateral agreements on fuel and reprocessing — BRICS could emerge as an alternative hub to Western civil nuclear networks. The New Delhi Declaration is a starting point, not a finishing line.
