BASIC countries reiterate principles of equity, policy space for low emission future

Glasgow (UK), Nov 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) The BASIC group of countries comprising Brazil, South Africa, India and China have said that the COP26 must aim for higher global ambition on climate finance and adaptation as well, along with recognition of parties' differing historical responsibilities and the developmental challenges faced by developing countries.

Delivering the statement on behalf of the BASIC group of countries, India's Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, highlighted that even though COP 26 was delayed by a year, parties have already commenced implementation of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) -- actions by states to combat climate change -- and therefore it is crucial that the Paris Agreement Rulebook is concluded at COP26 held by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

"In doing so, full effect must be given to implementation of the principles of Equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC) and, recognition of the very different national circumstances of Parties", Yadav said and underlined that developing countries must be accorded time, policy space and support to transition towards a low emissions future.

Yadav was addressing the COP26 gathering where world leaders and country representatives gathered to negotiate climate actions to reduce carbon emissions for restricting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to the pre-industrial era.

Yadav made the statement on behalf of the BASIC group of countries late evening on the first day of the COP, midnight India time, where he recalled the bottom-up nature of the Paris Agreement and the freedom of parties to determine their NDCs and progressively update them based on the outcomes of the Global Stocktake cycle and as per national circumstances and call of science.

Affirming that the latest available science makes it clear that all parties need to immediately contribute their fair share with regard to the long-term temperature goal, Yadav said achieving this would require developed countries to rapidly reduce their emissions and dramatically scale-up their financial support to developing countries.

"Developed countries have not only failed to meet the USD 100 billion goal per year of support to developing countries each and every year since 2009, they continue to present the 2009 goal as the ceiling of their ambition all the way to 2025. In a context where developing countries, including BASIC countries, have massively stepped up their climate actions since 2009, it is unacceptable that there is still no matching ambition from developed countries on the enabling means of implementation on climate finance support," Bhupender Yadav said.

"The success of multilateralism lies in the transparent, inclusive, party-driven and consensus-based nature of the UNFCCC process and the group expects that all agenda items shall proceed in an inclusive and balanced manner, and the outcome should reflect the views of all parties," he added.

Source: IANS