Efforts against climate change irreversible: BASIC countries

BASIC countries comprising Brazil, South Africa, India and China said today that efforts against climate change were irreversible and called for implementation of the Paris deal, days after US President Donald Trump ordered a roll back of his predecessor's climate policies.
The 24thBASIC Ministerial Meeting on climate change, which ended today, stressed that the global effort against climate change is an irreversible process that cannot be postponed and welcomed the early entry into force of the Paris Agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
"Ministers discussed the international situation and developments, and reiterated their governments' unwavering commitment to the global effort against climate change," a joint statement issued at the end of the two-day meeting said.

"They urged all signatories to stay on course and maintain their support to the Paris Agreement for the good of all humankind and our future generations," it said.
Ministers reiterated that the global effort against climate change was an "irreversible process" that cannot be postponed.
It offers valuable opportunities to promote sustainable development, the statement said.

In this regard, the ministers underlined BASIC's highest political commitment to the full, effective and sustained implementation of the Convention, its Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement in all their aspects, it said.
The meeting was chaired by Xie Zhenhua, Special Representative for Climate Change Affairs of China and included delegations from Brazil, South Africa and India.

The Indian delegation was led by Ravi Shankar Prasad, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, a press release posted on the Indian Embassy website here said.
In line with the BASIC plus approach, delegations of Fiji, Ecuador and Egypt also participated in the meeting as observers, it said.
This is the first meeting of the BASIC Ministers after Trump signed an executive order last month to nullify his predecessor Barack Obama's climate change efforts, raising questions over America's leadership in the international campaign against global warming.
Trump's order was expected to dramatically alter the US government's approach to rising sea levels and temperatures -- two impacts of climate change.

The US and China were regarded as the top two emitters of greenhouse gases and the Trump's roll back was expected to cast a dark shadow over the Paris climate deal.
However, the BASIC Ministers resolved to enhance the implementation of the Paris Agreement which reflects the principles of equity, and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances, the release said.
BASIC Ministers noted the substantial achievements of BASIC countries in combating climate change and their ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
"They expressed their commitment to continue to strengthen their coordination, share experiences and support each other as they further develop their domestic climate policies and actions," the release said.

Ministers also urged developed countries to fully honour their commitments and increase climate finance towards the USD 100 billion per annum goal, to be scaled up significantly after 2025.
Ministers discussed the international situation and developments, and reiterated their governments' unwavering commitment to the global effort against climate change, the joint statement said.
Ministers highlighted BASIC's willingness to work together with all parties and stakeholders to promote global low greenhouse gas emissions, climate-resilient and sustainable development, it said.
Ministers welcomed the successful outcomes achieved at CoP 22 in November 2016, which demonstrated the irreversible momentum behind the multilateral process and adopted the roadmap for the work required to operationalise the Paris Agreement from 2020, the statement said.

Speaking at the Ministerial meeting, Xie said the cooperative mechanism of BASIC countries, established in 2009, has made "important contributions to the successful signing of the Paris Agreement and its early implementation".
Xie commended the role of BASIC in strengthening "internal communications" within the Group of 77, and in gaining support from developing countries, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.