Although climate action is on the official agenda at the current meeting of the BRICS countries in South Africa, it is overshadowed by other current issues. Global warming has reached a new record this year and is not stopping at BRICS countries. China and India have been hit by heat waves and heavy rain, wildfires in Siberia are out of control, and Brazil is expecting an „eccentric winter“ with extreme rain. But there are other more pressing issues for the five largest emerging economies at their meeting in South Africa, as became apparent at the start of the summit on Tuesday: For instance, the admission of new members, the economic cooperation between the countries in the Global South, and the design of the new BRICS bank.