Ministers of BASIC countries to meet in Brazil ahead of COP16 meeting

New Delhi, July 23 (ANI): Ministers of the BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) countries will meet next week in Brazil to discuss international climate change efforts and point out areas where there is a scope for progress, in the run-up to the United Nations COP16 climate change meeting in December.

Over the two-day meetings scheduled for July 25-26 in Rio de Janeiro, representatives will discuss topics central to international climate negotiations, including financing for adaptation and mitigation actions, the United Nations programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) and the criteria for setting limits on greenhouse gas emissions.

The meeting will also address equity issues relating to the remaining carbon space in the atmosphere.

Ahead of the ministerial meetings, scientific experts from the BASIC group will partake in a series of discussions on July 23-24 focused on "climate equity."

The ministerial meetings will be followed by a visit to the Tapajss National Forest in the Amazon region in order for the BASIC ministers to observe the national sustainable forest management program in action, a key component of Brazil's strategy to fight deforestation.

Notably, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh visited Brazil in April to discuss various common challenges including climate change.

The series of meetings will mark the fourth ministerial meeting of the BASIC countries, an informal group which has been regularly meeting on the international regime on climate change.The first ministerial meeting was held in November 2009, in Beijing.

The next meeting of the BASIC group is to be held in China this October. By Ravinder Singh Robin(ANI)