‘Basic
has Played a Proactive and Constructive role in Combating Global
Climate Change and International Climate Change Negotiations’: Javadekar
Joint Statement issued at the Conclusion of the
22nd Basic Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change
India has said that 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. Addressing a joint press conference
with Ministers of BASIC group here today, Minister of State (Independent
Charge) of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash
Javadekar said that 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 recognizes 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”, Shri
Javadekar said.
Shri Javadekar also emphasized that the 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. The Minister also highlighted that BASIC countries have started
taking pre-2020 actions, more than what is expected and much beyond
their capacity. Shri Javadekar expressed the hope that the developed
world will make an all-out effort to mobilize $ 100 billion, which was
an essential feature of Paris agreement.
A Joint Statement was made at the end of the meeting. The following is
the text of the Joint Statement at the conclusion of the 22nd BASIC
Ministerial meeting on Climate Change:
1. The 22nd BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change was held in New
Delhi, India on and April 6-7, 2016. The meeting was attended by
Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment, Forest and
Climate Change, Mr. Prakash Javadekar, Special Representative for
Climate Change of China, Mr. Xie Zhenhua, Under Secretary-General for
the Environment, Energy, Science and Technology, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Brazil, Ambassador Antonio Marcondes, and Chief Director,
International Climate Change Relations and Negotiations of South Africa,
Mr. Maesela Kekana,.
2. Ministers welcomed the adoption of the Paris Agreement under the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and
acknowledged that the 21st Conference of Parties (COP-21) held in Paris
in December 2015 marked a milestone in global climate cooperation. They
underlined that the Paris Agreement is meant to enhance the
implementation of the Convention and is comprehensive, balanced and
ambitious. It also reiterates the principles of equity and common but
differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR &
RC).
3. Ministers appreciated the role of the French Presidency in carrying
all Parties together and ensuring the successful adoption of the Paris
Agreement at COP-21. The Ministers also commended the role of BASIC and
G-77 & China groups in negotiating the Paris outcomes and securing
interests of the developing countries. They reaffirmed the commitment of
BASIC countries to G-77 & China and expressed their appreciation of
South Africa’s chairing of the group.
4. Ministers underlined that the Paris Agreement recognizes the
imperatives of sustainable patterns of consumption and production, with
developed countries taking the lead, and the importance of climate
justice, in strengthening the global response to the threat of climate
change.
5. Ministers commended the efforts 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.
6. The BASIC countries look forward to signing the Paris Agreement on 22
April 2016 during the High-Level Signature Ceremony convened by the
Secretary-General of the United Nations. They expressed their will to
initiate necessary domestic processes for ratification, acceptance or
approval as soon as possible with a view to facilitate the timely entry
into force of the Agreement, and urged other countries to do so as well.
7. Ministers reiterated the importance of pre-2020 actions in building
trust amongst the Parties and noted with concern the pending
ratification by many Annex I Parties of the Doha Amendment, which
establishes the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. They
urged Annex I Parties to both ratify and revisit pledges of Quantified
Emission Limitation and Reduction Objectives (QELROs) to close the
emission gap. They also emphasized that raising pre-2020 ambition on
other pillars of the Convention (viz. adaptation, finance and technology
and capacity building support) will pave the way for the implementation
of the Paris Agreement.
8. The Ministers reiterated that Parties’ contributions, termed as
‘Nationally Determined Contributions’ (NDCs), are to be country driven
and comprehensive. The Ministers reflected on the importance of
adaptation and means of implementation as key elements of Parties
efforts under the Agreement.
9. The Ministers stressed the differentiated obligations in mitigation
actions of developed and developing countries, as well as for the
provision of support, and emphasized that developed countries should
continue to take the lead. They also recalled that the Paris Agreement
specifically mentions that the time frame for peaking will be longer for
developing countries. Ministers felt that proper anchoring of
differentiation in contributions of developed and developing countries
is a sound basis for ambitious actions.
10. Ministers also underscored the need for financial support to
developing countries for effective implementation of their mitigation
and adaptation actions through 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. They
also emphasized on the role of innovation and international cooperation
in enhancing global actions.
11. Ministers welcomed the setting up of the Paris Committee, a new
institutional mechanism for enhancing capacity building activities in
developing countries, and urged developed countries to provide financial
support for capacity building in developing countries.
12. Ministers emphasized the importance of building on the existing
transparency framework under the Convention, for effective
implementation of the Paris Agreement and 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.
Ministers further underlined that transparency of support is a
fundamental aspect of the implementation of the Paris Agreement and that
the consideration of this issue should not be outsourced to other
entities. They also reflected on the need to focus on the qualitative
aspects of climate finance on transparency of support.
13. 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.
Ministers expressed their concern over the lack of adequate support in
this respect and urged developed countries to honour their obligations
under the Convention.
14. 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. Reiterating the role
of public finance, Ministers called upon developed countries to fulfill
their pledges to the Green Climate Fund.
15. Ministers noted that 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.
16. The BASIC countries expressed concern that the draft proposal on
Global Market Based Measures (GMBM) under the International Civil
Aviation Organization (ICAO) may impose inappropriate economic burden on
developing countries, where the international aviation market is still
maturing. They urged the ICAO to develop climate change measures in a
manner that is consistent with the principles of CBDR & RC, and to
align the GMBM with the relevant provisions of the Paris Agreement.
17. Ministers agreed to further strengthen the cooperation and solidarity among the BASIC countries.
18. Ministers welcomed the offer of South Africa to host the 23rd BASIC Ministerial meeting.
***
HK
(Release ID :138685)
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