To determine the road ahead on the climate change minefield, environment ministers from Brazil, South Africa, India and China (BASIC) will meet here on Sunday to take the first post-Copenhagen step to thrash out a global emission-cut treaty which could be formalised in the next climate summit in Mexico City in December.
On the eve of the BASIC meeting, environment ministers from these countries met Prime Minister Manomhan Singh who, in turn reminded them on the importance of “unity and stability of the BASIC group” to have a beneficial treaty.
Recalling the key role played by the BASIC group in Copenhagen, Singh on Saturday told the foursome that they must always be together to present a common view on concerned areas.
The four emerging economies are likely to give shape to a BASIC fund which can be utilised to support Least Developed Countries (LDC), island nations and some of the African countries.
Since some of these poorer nations were not satisfied with the role played by the BASIC in Copenhagen, a dedicated fund could help in bridging the gap and soothing frayed nerves.
The meeting will also do a stock taking as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change has relaxed its January 31 deadline for countries to submit their carbon emission reduction commitments to the UN.
Though the deadline was agreed at Copenhagen, on January 18 UNFCCC relaxed it without setting up a new deadline.
‘Practical necessity’
“The UN decision of extending the January 31 deadline arises out of practical necessity because countries are not in a stage of committing or making the pledge now,” said R K Pachauri, chairperson of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Pachauri on Saturday said that Copenhagen Accord should form the basis of the legally-binding agreement to be adopted at Mexico.
This is completely against India’s negotiating position. The negotiating team is dead against any move to dilute the Kyoto Protocol that distinguishes between the polluters and victims and spells out historical responsibility.
