Scale up support for fighting climate change: BASIC countries

Expressing concern over lack of adequate financial and technology support to fight climate change, BASIC countries including India today asked developed nations to "scale up" their level of financial support and "honour" their obligation of providing USD 100 billion per year by 2020.
The ministers attending the 22nd BASIC ministerial meeting on climate change which concluded here today, also asked developed nations to fulfil their pledges to the Green Climate Fund.
This was the first meeting of the grouping -- Brazil, South Africa, India and China (BASIC) -- after the crucial Paris climate change conference last year.
"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," the BASIC countries in a joint statemnet said.

They expressed their concern over "lack of adequate support" in this respect and urged developed countries to honour their obligations under the Convention (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), it said.
"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" the statement said.

The two-day meeting was attended by Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, Special Representative for climate change of China H E Xie Zhenhua, Under secretary-general for the environment, energy, science and technology, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil Antonio Marcondes and Chief Director, International Climate Change Relations and Negotiations of South Africa Maesela Kekana.

"Adapation, means of implementation, finance, capacity building...All are important aspects of the Paris agreement and we must build on it so that the global community feels that Paris has succedded and world is walking to achieve the target.
"100 billion dollar mobilisation is essential feature of that. We hope that in next four yers, developed world will remain constant to its commitment and make all-out efforts to mobilise it," Javadekar told reporters.
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The BASIC countries have also expressed their will to
initiate necessary domestic processes for ratification, acceptance or approval as soon as possible to facilitate timely entry into force of the agreement while urging other countries to do so as well.

Stressing on the differentiated obligations in mitigation actions of developed and developing countries, the BASIC countries also emphasised that developed nations should continue to take the lead.
Noting that the Paris Agreement specifically mentions that the time-frame for peaking will be longer for developing countries, ministers of the group said that the proper anchoring of differentiation in contributions of developed and developing countries is a sound basis for ambitious actions.
"Ministers also underscored the need for financial support to developing countries for effective implementation of their mitigation and adaptation actions by 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," the joint statement said.

The BASIC countries also expressed concern over pending of the ratification process by countries of the Doha Amendment, which establishes the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.
They urged those countries (Annex I Parties) to both ratify and revisit pledges of Quantified Emission Limitation and Reduction Objectives (QELROs) to close the emission gap.
Javadekar said efforts are being already made 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.
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Javadekar said 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.

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

He said BASIC countries have started taking pre-2020 actions, more than what is expected and much beyond their capacity.
"The next session of the SBI, SBSTA and Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement will be deliberating on a number of issues related to the Paris Agreement.
"In this regard, ministers hoped that issues under these bodies will receive balanced treatment and pledged their support to the incoming COP Presidency of Morocco to ensure a successful COP-22," the joint statement said adding that 23rd BASIC Ministerial meeting will be held in South Africa.
The ministers emphasised the importance of building on the existing transparency framework under the Convention, for effective implementation of the Paris Agreement.

They reiterated the importance of providing support and flexibility to developing countries, including through the capacity-building initiative for transparency, in fulfilling their obligations under the proposed enhanced transparency framework.