27th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change held in New Delhi

27th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change held in New Delhi has urged advanced countries to enhance their support to developing nations in effectively implementing Paris Agreement to combat climate change. BASIC countries comprise Brazil, South Africa, India and China. This comes ahead of UN Conference of Parties (COP) scheduled to be held in December 2018 in Katowice, Poland.

Outcomes of Meeting

Participating BASIC countries reaffirmed that Paris Agreement is significant step to advance global action against climate change, recognising needs and special circumstances of  developing countries.
They also reaffirmed member countries’ commitment to implement UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) its Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement. It resolved to promote low carbon transition to safeguard future of mankind.
As a group they will continue to push for developed countries on their earlier commitment to providing $100 billion annually from 2020. They also urged developed countries to take urgent actions to close pre-2020 implementation gaps by 2023 which they said can be useful input for first Global Stocktake (GST). Brazil will host next BASIC meeting in 2019.

Global Stocktake (GST)
GST refers to proposed five-yearly-review of the impact of climate change action undertaken by countries. Under the Paris Agreement, each country has to present a climate action plan every five years. Under the Paris Agreement, the first global stocktake will happen in 2023. It will help world to determine whether it needs to do moreand how much more. India is demanded for 10-year period for GST, while EU and some others demanded five-year cycle. India argues that five years is too short a time to assess whether the actions were having the desired impacts.

BASIC

BASIC countries are bloc (geopolitical alliance) of four large newly industrialized countries – Brazil, South Africa, India and China. It was formed by agreement in November 2009. They were committed to act jointly at Copenhagen climate summit 2009, including possible united walk-out if their common minimum position was not met by developed nations during climate talks. It is working to define common position on emission reductions and climate aid money and try to convince other countries to sign up to Copenhagen Accord.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2018