BASIC Meeting on Climate Change | 19 Aug 2019

The BASIC countries held their 28^th ministerial meeting on Climate Change from 14^th to 16^th August 2019 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

• The countries expressed their concern about climate change and its adverse effects, and reaffirmed their commitment to the successful implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), its Kyoto Protocol and its Paris Agreement, in accordance with the principles of Equity and Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC), in the light of different national circumstances.
• The Ministers stated the importance of responsible, comprehensive, urgent and ambitious actions against climate change, including in the urban environment.
• The group noted with concern the trend of developing countries being denied their right to support in different fora, including the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). It stressed in this regard that climate finance should not be a vehicle for increasing the indebtedness of developing countries.
• The BASIC Ministers urged developed countries to fulfill their climate finance commitments of mobilizing USD 100 billion annually by 2020 for developing countries in a transparent manner and on a grant basis.
• The Ministerial meeting was held in the run-up to the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP-25) meet to be held in Chile from 2^nd-3^rd December, 2019.

BASIC

• The BASIC group was formed as the result of an agreement signed by the four countries (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) on 28^th November, 2009.
  
  • The signatory nations committed to acting together at the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly known as the Copenhagen Summit, scheduled in Copenhagen, Denmark from December 7-18 of that year.
• BASIC is one of several groups of nations working together to fight climate change and carry out negotiations within the UNFCCC.
  
  • Other than BASIC, there are the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the group of countries of Central Asia, Caucasus, Albania and Moldova (CACAM), etc.
• Brazil, South Africa, India and China put together has one-third of the world’s geographical area and nearly 40% of the world’s population.
• China will host the next meeting of the BASIC Ministers. The 27^th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change was held on 19^th-20^th November,2018 in New Delhi, India.

Source: PIB