How do the BRICS approach sustainable concerns? A systematic literature review

Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) are recognized for their global impacts and representation across economic, social, and environmental aspects, as well as for comprising countries that strive to lead sustainable agendas in their respective regions. With a combined economy of $25.54 trillion and 42% of the world’s population, these nations are responsible for significant sustainable impacts on a global scale, eliciting interest in the practices they undertake to promote sustainability. Thus, the aim of this manuscript is to identify the primary approaches employed in those countries to address sustainability. For this purpose, a systematic literature review was conducted using the ROSES reporting standards and PRISMA Statement methodology, encompassing a sample of 93 case studies from the BRICS countries spanning the period from 2010 to 2022. The findings reveal (i) a rise in publications from 2016 to 2021, notably in China and Brazil, with a focus on the agricultural and urban sectors, and (ii) five sustainability tools emerge prominently, each with more than two applications in existing studies: Life Cycle Assessment, Multicriteria Decision Making, Cleaner Production, Material Flow Cost Accounting, and Water Footprint Assessment. These findings underscore five primary policy implications: (a) the discrepancy between scientific efforts and data regarding the sustainability impacts of the countries; (b) the need for the use of more tools to enable regional sustainable development of the countries; (c) dissemination of effective practices; (d) trends in sustainability management focusing on water management and supply, environmental protection in urban areas, decision-making for sustainable development, and environmental and waste management, and (e) the need for better-developed public policies related to environmental impact that are not currently well-represented in scientific research, aiming to promote sustainability in various critical areas.