A joint statement of the four countries stated, "Ministers were deeply concerned at the continued unilateral action by the EU to include international aviation in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS), including intentions for similar unilateral measures, and called for immediate withdrawal of such actions that violate the multilateral rules-based system and adversely affect trust among parties."

The statement came days ahead of a meeting called by the US in Washington on the same issue against the backdrop of its own stand of disagreeing with the BASIC countries' views towards setting up an international regime for carbon tax on aviation under the International Civil Aviation Organization and outside the ambit of UN climate convention.

The BASIC nations also tried to set a clear intent for future climate negotiations. They noted that action would have to be taken on all counts, including finance, technology and adaptation and not just mitigation under the Durban Platform track of talks as some developed countries have been insisting.

The joint statement said, "Ministers reaffirmed that the ADP (Ad-hoc working group on Durban platform) shall plan its work, including, inter alia, on mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology development and transfer, transparency of action, and support and capacity-building."

The four countries, which have emerged as a key group at climate talks, decided that their experts would also carry out scientific and technical analysis of unilateral measures on aviation and maritime emissions, and short-lived climate forcing greenhouse gases.

The meeting comes days ahead of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue, organized by Germany in Berlin, where select key countries are expected to exchange views on the plans for 2012, including the big-ticket annual meeting at the end of the year in Qatari capital, Doha.

The developing countries are keen to ensure that the balance of priorities, which existed in the track of negotiations that come to an end this year, is carried forward in the Durban Platform that started last year and is tasked to carve out a new global climate change regime by 2015 and operationalize it by 2020.

The developed countries, along with fractions of the G77+China grouping that have more or less broken away such as the small island nations, have been pushing only on increased efforts to reduce emissions (or mitigation) while trying to delink it from the transfer of resources and technology that several larger developing countries have consistently opposed.