International Legal Cooperation of the BRICS Countries in the Field of Environmental Safety

INTRODUCTION. In the current context of human evolution, ensuring environmental sustainability is acquiring strategic importance at both the interstate and national levels of regulation. The Action Plan for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, adopted in 2015, emphasizes the unity of approaches of various countries to the development of an effective mechanism for environmental protection. At the same time, alarming trends in the increasing scale of pollution persist: the spread of arid zones, accelerated desertification, declining quality of freshwater sources, increasing ocean acidity, warming of water masses, depletion of natural resource potential, and loss of biodiversity are becoming global problems. The Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe of 1975, which significantly enriched the experience of state interaction in the field of global environmental security, emphasized that solutions to planetary-scale problems can only be achieved through concerted international efforts aimed at implementing the goals enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. The article presents an in-depth scientific analysis of evolutionary processes within the framework of international legal regulation of interaction between the BRICS countries, aimed at strengthening environmental cooperation and achieving environmental safety of natural objects, due to the need for an integrated approach to solving global environmental problems caused by accelerated economic growth and urbanization, the intensity of industrial production and the increase in anthropogenic pressure on the environment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS. The scientific methodology is based on a comprehensive approach, involving a multifaceted study of the issues under consideration and the development of optimal solutions. To achieve these goals, a system of analytical tools is used, with particular emphasis on the following research methods: systematic comparison of initiatives and activities undertaken by BRICS member states; critical assessment of the success of agreements reached; historical and comparative analysis of the relevant policy decision-making process; and a thorough examination of the documentary base represented by regulations and specialized literature. The research is based on the principles of integrating efforts, embodied in the concept of sustainable development and the preservation of our planet's ecosystem.

RESEARCH RESULTS. The article aims to study the key areas of international legal cooperation of the BRICS countries in all areas of environmentally oriented activities in order to ensure environmental safety, including national measures aimed at: reducing greenhouse gas emissions; protecting water resources (including improving the quality of drinking water); recycling all types of waste, including plastic and its microparticles; preserving biodiversity; searching for alternative energy sources; reducing atmospheric emissions. The work notes the existing difficulties associated, among other things, with the presence of gaps in legislation leading to a rapid increase in various categories of waste, an increase in the concentration of CO2 emissions and other industrial pollutants generated as a result of large-scale economic activities of the member states, into the aquatic environment, soil and atmosphere. The article focuses on the role of the Russian Federation in the formation and implementation of the BRICS environmental strategy, and identifies key areas for further development and strengthening of global cooperation in the development of advanced technologies, the formation of a responsible approach to the use of natural resource potential for the purpose of sustainable economic growth and ensuring global and national environmental security.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. A key area of activity for BRICS member states in legal support for environmental safety at the national and global levels is the creation of a coordinated system of interaction on issues of pollutant emissions control, modernization of waste management infrastructure, implementation of effective approaches to water supply and water resource protection, and other issues. However, despite the positive results of several projects, significant challenges remain, stemming from insufficient infrastructure and the low effectiveness of certain environmental initiatives. Improving productivity requires a comprehensive approach based on the widespread use of modern technological solutions, addressing gaps in the legal regulation of environmentally relevant issues, and increasing investment in the environmental sector.

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