BASIC countries discuss the policy on climate change

The 6^th meeting of the Environment Ministers of the four BASIC countries namely, Brazil, South Africa, India and China are being held. It is to assess the post Cancun climate change policy and actions at the global and national level. The BASIC group was formed in Beijing in November 2009. Argentina, Algeria and Maldives were also been invited to this meeting. BASIC countries’ meeting is significant as it will be the first major international meeting of any group of countries since December, 2010 when Cancun Agreements were reached under the leadership of Mexico as the Chair of 16^th Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol. In the run up to Durban in South Africa, where the next Conference of Parties will take place in December, 2011, the Parties are expected to finalize the rules and modalities for implementing the Cancun decisions. A meeting of the two Ad-hoc Working Groups of the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol is already scheduled in Bangkok in April this year to discuss the issues emerging from the Cancun decisions and decide on a work programme for actions.

The rules for international assessment and review (IAR) of the targets of developed countries and international consultations and analysis (ICA) of developing countries actions are also to be prepared and finalized which includes legal options for the outcomes in future. Issues related to the work of the Transitional Committee set up by the Parties to design the Green Climate Fund and operationalizing the Technology Executive Committee set up to facilitate the process of diffusion and deployment of climate friendly technologies also forms vital part of discussion. The ministers agreed that non-government experts from the BASIC countries to work for development of policy based on equity for a sustainable development before the Durban meet. The group also agreed that the guidelines for monitoring, reporting and verification mechanism for developing countries to be simplified like the way implemented in developed countries.

India continues to work closely to ensure a positive outcome at Durban and beyond, while advancing the interests of other countries and partners. The environment ministers from BASIC group (Brazil, South Africa, India, and China) endorsed for Cancun Agreements could not be a substitute for the Bali road map, which should continue to be the template for future work of the countries. The ministers were unanimous that the issues of equity, intellectual property rights and trade should go back to the negotiating table before the next climate conference slated to be held in December 2011 at Durban in South Africa. The ministers affirmed that second commitment period for Kyoto Protocol is the commitment to review mechanism for developed and developing countries. This would also target to emission reduction for all the countries including the developed world. This factor played a crucial role in reaching any agreement at Durban.