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BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change

By Lisa
|
Google Oneindia News

The 22nd BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change was held in New Delhi, India on and April 6th and 7th 2016. BASIC group consists following nations: Brazil, South Africa, India and China.

The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Mr. Prakash Javadekar, Special Representative for Climate Change of China, Mr. Xie Zhenhua, Under Secretary-General for the Environment, Energy, Science and Technology, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Ambassador Antonio Marcondes, and Chief Director, International Climate Change Relations and Negotiations of South Africa, Mr. Maesela Kekana.

prakash javadekar

India has said that the BASIC group has played a proactive and constructive role in combating global climate change and in the international climate change negotiations, which led to the successful adoption of the Paris Agreement.

Mr. Javadekar at the meeting:

Addressing a joint press conference with Ministers of BASIC group, Minister of State of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar said that it is an opportune time for the BASIC group to renew its efforts in the post-Paris period, invigorating the steps taken domestically, as well as internationally to address climate change.

Mr. Javadekar further added that, "I feel glad that the Paris Agreement recognises the imperatives of sustainable patterns of consumption and production, with developed countries taking the lead, and climate justice in strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty".

He also emphasised that the BASIC group has been a strong advocate of the principle of 'Differentiation" and operationalisation of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) in the climate change regime.

The Minister also highlighted that BASIC countries have started taking pre-2020 actions, more than what is expected and much beyond their capacity. Mr. Javadekar expressed the hope that the developed world will make an all-out effort to mobilise $ 100 billion, which was an essential feature of Paris agreement.

Joint Statement:

A Joint Statement was made at the end of the meeting. Here are some important points that were made in the statement.

1. Ministers underlined that the Paris Agreement is meant to enhance the implementation of the Convention and is comprehensive, balanced and ambitious. It also reiterates the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR & RC).

2. Ministers underlined that the Paris Agreement recognises the imperatives of sustainable patterns of consumption and production, with developed countries taking the lead, and the importance of climate justice, in strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change.

3. Ministers commended the efforts by BASIC countries and other developing countries in tackling climate change, both pre- and post-2020, and emphasised that these represent far more ambitious efforts compared to their respective responsibilities and capabilities.

4. The BASIC countries look forward to signing the Paris Agreement on 22 April 2016 during the High-Level Signature Ceremony convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

5. The Ministers reiterated that Parties' contributions, termed as 'Nationally Determined Contributions' (NDCs), are to be country driven and comprehensive.

6. The Ministers stressed the differentiated obligations in mitigation actions of developed and developing countries, as well as for the provision of support, and emphasised that developed countries should continue to take the lead.

7. They also recalled that the Paris Agreement specifically mentions that the time frame for peaking will be longer for developing countries. Ministers felt that proper anchoring of differentiation in contributions of developed and developing countries is a sound basis for ambitious actions.

8. Ministers also underscored the need for financial support to developing countries for effective implementation of their mitigation and adaptation actions through accelerating the work on the new Technology Framework and the Technology Mechanism including its assessment for a meaningful and tangible dissemination, transfer and deployment of technology from developed to developing countries. They also emphasised on the role of innovation and international cooperation in enhancing global actions.

9. Ministers welcomed the setting up of the Paris Committee, a new institutional mechanism for enhancing capacity building activities in developing countries, and urged developed countries to provide financial support for capacity building in developing countries.

10. Ministers identified means of implementation in the context of provision of finance, technology transfer and capacity building support as the most important enablers of action for developing countries. Ministers expressed their concern over the lack of adequate support in this respect and urged developed countries to honour their obligations under the Convention.

11. Ministers also urged developed countries to scale up their level of financial support with a complete road map to achieve the goal of jointly providing USD 100 billion per year by 2020. Reiterating the role of public finance, Ministers called upon developed countries to fulfil their pledges to the Green Climate Fund.

12. Ministers agreed to further strengthen the cooperation and solidarity among the BASIC countries.

The next BASIC Ministerial meeting will be hosted by South Africa.

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