27-Nov-2019: Cabinet approves India's Approach to UN Climate Change Conference

Union cabinet chaired Narendra Modi approved the negotiating stand of India at the 25th Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) scheduled to be held in Madrid, Spain (under the Presidency of Chile) from 2-13 December 2019.

The Indian delegation will be led by Shri Prakash Javadekar, Hon'ble Minister, Environment, Forest and Climate Change. COP 25 is an important conference as countries prepare to move from pre-2020 period under Kyoto Protocol to post-2020 period under Paris Agreement.

India's approach will be guided by principles and provisions of UNFCCC and Paris Agreement particularly the principles of Equity and Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capability (CBDR-RC). India's leadership on climate change has been evident and well recognised across the globe.

Government of India has been undertaking several initiatives to address climate change concerns under the leadership of  Prime Minister Narendra Modi and these initiatives reflect India's commitment and ambition towards climate action. In the recently held Climate Action Summit convened by United Nations Secretary General, the Prime Minister announced India's plan on scaling up of renewable energy target to 450 GW and called for responsible action by all on the principles of equity and CBDR-RC.

India has been leading the world in its pursuit of enhanced solar energy capacity through International Solar Alliance (ISA).In addition to ISA, two new initiatives have been launched by India as part of its efforts to mobilize world on climate action. These include Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, which will serve as a platform to generate and exchange knowledge on different aspects of climate and disaster resilient infrastructure and 'Leadership Group for Industry Transition' launched jointly by India and Sweden, which will provide a platform for government and the private sector in different countries to work together on accelerating low carbon growth and cooperation in the area of technology innovation.

India has been ambitious in its actions and has emphasized that Developed countries should take lead in undertaking ambitious actions and fulfil their climate finance commitments of mobilizing USD 100 billion per annum by 2020 and progressively and substantially scale up their financial support to inform Parties for future action through NDCs. India will further stress upon need for fulfilling pre-2020 commitments by developed countries and that pre-2020 implementation gaps should not present an additional burden to developing countries in the post-2020 period.

26-Oct-2019: Joint Statement issued at the Conclusion of 29th BASIC Ministerial Meet on Climate Change

The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Shri Prakash Javadekar participated in the 29th ministerial meeting of the BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India, China) countries on Climate Change at Beijing, China on 25th-26th October 2019.

Following is the Joint Statement issued at the Conclusion of 29th BASIC Ministerial Meet on Climate Change:

The 29th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change was held in Beijing, China, on 25th-26th October 2019. The meeting was chaired by H.E. Mr. LI Ganjie, Minister of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China.

BASIC Ministers expressed their concern for the global challenge of climate change and its adverse effects, and confirmed their commitments to multilateralism in order to address the issue and to foster climate resilience and promote greenhouse gas emissions reduction, low-carbon and sustainable development, with a view to collectively working towards preparedness of international community for the wellbeing of all. Ministers underscored that all parties should jointly defend the international system underpinned by the United Nations, in accordance with the principles of equity, common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC), in the light of different national circumstances. Unilateralism and protectionism undermine the open and free international trade system and the prospect of global economic development and growth, which will end up with damaging global efforts against climate change. It is imperative to focus on safeguarding the multilateral process and the fulfillment of commitments.

Ministers emphasized the faithful and comprehensive implementation of the Paris Agreement, in particular of its goals and principles, and underlined the importance of a full, effective and sustained 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, common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC), in the light of different national circumstances, as well as the nationally- determined nature of the Paris Agreement. They emphasized that global climate action should promote climate justice by recognizing the fundamental equality of all people in accessing economic growth and sustainable development. The BASIC Ministers reaffirmed and emphasized the need for people’s participation and climate friendly lifestyles for addressing the challenge of climate change acknowledging that Paris Agreement embodies and calls for sustainable lifestyles and consumption patterns.

Ministers highlighted that developing countries, including BASIC countries, notwithstanding the multiple challenges including food security, poverty eradication, and insufficient and uneven progress of domestic development, have been implementing ambitious climate action based on their national circumstances in the context of sustainable development, and have achieved great progress with significant contribution to global efforts in combating climate change. In 2018, China has reduced carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 45.8% from the 2005 level, increased the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to 14.3%. South Africa has recently implemented carbon tax, and announced massive renewable energy program in its latest electricity plan. India has already achieved 21% reduction in emission intensity of GDP in 2014 compared to 2005 levels, thereby achieving its pre-2020 voluntary target. In 2015, Brazil had already achieved a 58% emission reduction in the business as usual scenario set for its NAMAs, thereby overachieving its target of 36%- 39% reductions set for 2020.

Ministers noted UN Climate Action Summit and its strong political signal of upholding multilateralism, implementing the Paris Agreement, and enhancing ambitions of action and support. BASIC countries actively engaged and contributed, and are ready to further strengthen international cooperation to explore solutions which are cost-effective and with lower risks, such as nature-based solutions, and technology innovation in industry transition.

Ministers expressed their appreciation to the Polish Presidency’s contribution to the conclusion of the bulk of the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP). They appreciated Costa Rica for hosting Pre-COP25 to promote political dialogue on specific issues. The Group pledged their full support to the incoming Chilean Presidency, and highlighted that the key outcome of COP25 will be to conclude negotiations on robust rules to ensure environmental integrity under Article 6 of Paris Agreement and to achieve progress on climate finance which is one of the key enablers for developing countries to implement ambitious climate actions. They committed to working with all other Parties for the success of COP25 in an open and transparent, consensus-based and party- driven manner.

Ministers valued the 187 ratifications of the Paris Agreement to date, called on all remaining Parties to ratify, and welcomed the implementation of the Agreement in the post-2020 period. The Group also underscored Kyoto Protocol as the significant milestone in the multilateral climate process. Ministers also welcomed the 134 ratifications, to date, of the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol and recalled that only 10 acceptance instruments are outstanding for the amendment to enter into force. They urged the Parties that have not yet ratified the Doha Amendment to do so as soon as possible, striving for its prompt entry into force before COP25.

The Group highlighted the substantial gaps not only in mitigation, but also in adaptation and support provided by developed countries to developing countries in the pre-2020 period. They stressed that these gaps should not be transferred to the post-2020 period to present additional burdens on developing countries. They urged developed countries to take urgent actions to close the gaps, including revisiting their targets on mitigation under the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol, and fulfilling their commitments of providing support to developing countries.

Ministers underscored that as developing countries are the most adversely affected by climate change, adaptation is a key imperative but is neglected with imbalanced allocation of resources compared to mitigation. They reiterated that balanced allocation should be made for adaptation and mitigation in terms of support provided by developed countries, including through Green Climate Fund (GCF). The Group encouraged other fora, including the Global Commission on Adaptation to play their part in supporting developing countries on adaptation. They emphasized that it is critical to dedicate a share of proceeds from ITMOs transactions under Article 6 to fund adaptation in developing countries.

Ministers underlined their commitment to taking ambitious actions to implement their NDCs. They stressed that action and support are integral in terms of ambition, and the ambition of support by developed countries should match the ambition of action by developing countries. Developed countries shall provide new and additional, sustained, predictable, adequate and timely finance, technology development and transfer and capacity-building support to developing countries, open markets and carry out practical technological cooperation, which serve the basis for mutual trust and important conditions for the comprehensive and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Ministers expressed their deep concern on the insufficiency and inadequacy of the support provided by developed countries to date, and underlined that the climate finance should be new, additional, and with significant public funded component. They urged developed countries to fulfill their climate finance commitments of providing USD 100 billion annually by 2020 for developing countries in a transparent and grant-based manner.

Ministers urged developed countries to propose the new collective quantified goal on finance as soon as possible, including detailed roadmap and timetable. The goal should be from a floor of USD 100 billion per year, significantly publicly funded and of greater transparency. The 2020 deliberations should draw lessons from the experience of meeting the USD 100 billion pledge, be informed by the needs and priorities of developing countries, and be adequate to meet the ambition of action of developing countries. In this regard, they stressed the importance of establishing a structured deliberation within the UNFCCC, in order to conclude this work in a meaningful and timely manner.

Ministers noted with concern the significant gap in aspects including funding scale, eligibility and policy- making of the GCF and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) from the need of developing countries. They noted of the contributions made by some developed countries in the first replenishment of the GCF, and urged the other developed countries to make speedy and robust contributions, to ensure the first replenishment doubles the initial resource mobilization pledge in real terms.

The Group highlighted that providing information on transparency of support, including its predictability, is a key component of the Enhanced Transparency Framework. In this regard, Ministers urged developed countries to engage in discussion to formulate clear guidance for the biennial communication which has common tables for communicating such information, referred to Article 9.5 in a positive and constructive manner.

Ministers underscored the importance of concluding the discussions on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, in accordance with the mandates and principles set out in the Agreement and the accompanying decision, including ensuring environmental integrity and avoiding double counting. They restated that decisions on other subjects should not pre-empt discussions under Article 6, and the issues should be addressed in a balanced and inclusive manner.

Ministers expressed that the rules and governance structures for cooperative approaches under Article 6.2 shall be multilaterally agreed and applicable to all Parties, and shall ensure that all transactions are based on actual mitigation efforts, consistent with Article 2. A robust accounting system shall be put in place, which shall have flexibility to accommodate different types of NDCs and a central log to register all transactions.

Ministers stated that the design of the mechanism under Article 6.4 shall be conducive to public and private sector involvement and avoid the creation of unnecessary obstacles to investment, provided that environmental integrity is ensured. Appropriate approaches, including corresponding adjustment and other possible means, should be explored to this end. Under no circumstances is the nationally determined nature of commitments and the bottom-up character of the Paris Agreement to be changed. They also stated that the ability of the climate change regime to ensure the appropriate transition of the CDM to the mechanism under Article 6.4 will be key to securing continued engagement of the public and private sectors in mitigation action.

Ministers welcomed the review of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts based on the mandates, and emphasized the need to address loss and damage on the basis of equity and in accordance with the principles of CBDR-RC, the relevant provisions of the Paris Agreement and COP decisions.

Ministers reiterated that the UNFCCC process remains the preeminent international forum for addressing matters related to climate change, and other fora serve as contributory supplement under the guidance of its principles and spirit. Ministers noted the work of International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Civil Aviation (ICAO) on reduction of GHG emissions, and underlined that the work being undertaken must comply with the key principles of the UNFCCC process, in particular the principle of Equity and CBDR-RC.

Ministers hailed the 10th anniversary of the BASIC Group and agreed to further strengthen the solidarity and cooperation among the four countries. In this context, they committed to jointly promote South-South cooperation, providing assistance as capabilities allow to enhance the capacities of other developing countries in addressing climate change. They reiterated their unequivocal support to the State of Palestine, as the Chair of the Group of 77 and China, with a view to strengthening the unity of the Group and advancing the common interests of developing countries.

Ministers welcomed the offer of India to host the 30th BASIC Ministerial Meeting.

17-Aug-2019: BASIC 28th ministerial on Climate Change sends a strong signal on the eve of key UN meets on Climate Change

In the run-up to the United Nations Framework for Climate Change (UNFCC) Conference of Parties (COP-25) meet to be held later in the year from 2nd to 13th December, the BASIC countries held its 28th Ministerial meeting on Climate Change from 14th to 16th August in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

India which was represented by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar said that BASIC countries coming together and putting views together is an important aspect of UN negotiations. Brazil, South Africa, India and China put together has one-third of world’s geographical area and nearly 40% of the world’s population and when we unitedly speak in one voice this shows our determination and the BASIC Group could play an important part in making Paris agreement accepted by all the countries in its true letter and spirit.

Shri Javadekar further added that BASIC will be united and will speak in one voice and the joint statement issued today has highlighted all the issues which are relevant today and the world must take note of what BASIC is saying, on the eve of United Nations Session on Climate Change and the next Conference of Parties (CoP25) in Chile.

Joint Statement issued at the conclusion of the 28th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change, São Paulo, Brazil, 16 August 2019

1. The 28th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change was held in Brasília and São Paulo, Brazil, on 14 and 16 August 2019. The meeting was chaired by H.E. Mr. Ricardo Salles, Minister of the Environment of Brazil and attended by H.E. Mr. XIE Zhenhua, Special Representative for Climate Change Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, H.E. Ms. Barbara Creecy, Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries of the Republic of South Africa, and H.E. Mr. Prakash Javadekar, Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change of the Republic of India.
2. The BASIC Ministers expressed their concern for 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, based on the recognition of the needs and special circumstances of developing countries and in accordance with the principles of Equity and Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC), in the light of different national circumstances. Ministers stated the importance of responsible, comprehensive, urgent and ambitious actions against climate change, including in the urban environment.
3. The Ministers stressed their support for the UNFCCC and its instruments, which remain the preeminent international forum for negotiating and addressing matters related to climate change. The BASIC countries reiterated their support for multilateralism, having made constructive engagements and significant contributions towards a series of milestones under the UNFCCC. They highlighted their determination to continue to work together with other Parties to further the process under the UNFCCC, which is irreversible.
4. Ministers underlined that BASIC countries are implementing ambitious climate action both in the pre-2020 period and in their proposed NDCs, having achieved substantial progress, notwithstanding the multiple challenges they face in terms of social and economic development and poverty eradication. They are committed to sharing best practices and supporting each other through south-south cooperation as they further develop their domestic climate policies and actions. They underscored that global climate action must promote climate justice by recognition of the fundamental right of all people in accessing economic growth and sustainable development.
5. Ministers took note of the synthesis report on pre-2020 implementation and ambition published by the UNFCCC Secretariat in September 2018. The Ministers highlighted the significant gaps in pre-2020 climate efforts not only in mitigation, but also in adaptation and support to developing countries. They underlined that time is of the essence for any meaningful pre-2020 action and that the implementation gaps should not present a burden to developing countries in the post-2020 period. They also urged developed countries to undertake ambitious actions to reduce emissions and fulfill their finance commitments, including in the pre-2020 period, in light of their historical responsibilities.
6. The 185 ratifications, to date, of the Paris Agreement were welcomed by BASIC Ministers. They called on all remaining Parties to UNFCCC to join the Paris Agreement as soon as possible. Ministers also welcomed the 130 ratifications, to date, of the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol and recalled that only 14 acceptance instruments are outstanding for the amendment to enter into force. They urged Parties that have not yet done so to ratify the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol as soon as possible, to ensure its prompt entry into force, given the valuable contribution it could make to global climate action leading up to 2020.
7. Ministers appreciated the role of the Polish Presidency, commending its contribution to the UNFCCC process, particularly the decisions adopted in Katowice, during COP 24, CMP 14 and CMA 1, including the bulk of the Paris Agreement Work Programme. They pledged the group’s full support to the incoming Chilean Presidency of COP 25 and emphasized the importance of moving forward and reaching concrete results in Santiago, which is a crucial opportunity for closing the action and ambition gaps before 2020.
8. Ministers reiterated their commitment to work together with all Parties in an open, transparent, inclusive and Party-driven manner to achieve a balanced and comprehensive outcome on all remaining items of the Paris Agreement Work Programme.
9. Ministers emphasized that the UNSG´s Climate Action Summit, to be held in September of this year, should be fully respectful of the principles and provisions of the UNFCCC, its Kyoto Protocol and its Paris Agreement, as well as existing aims, targets and mandates. They look forward for the Summit to send a strong political signal for global low-carbon, climate resilient and sustainable development and produce positive outcomes for pre-2020 ambition and implementation support for developing countries. The Ministers applauded the UN Secretary General’s efforts to build political momentum for enhancing climate action and support.
10. Ministers took note of the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on global warming of 1.5 °C and the Special Report on Climate Change and Land, which highlights the high vulnerability of developing countries to climate change effects, high resultant costs of adaptation and unprecedented transitions required in the development process.
11. Ministers urged developed countries to provide adequate and predictable means of implementation to developing countries to enable them to achieve their climate goals. In this respect, developed countries are called upon to enhance support to developing countries for actions related to project or programme development and implementation, including on adaptation, mitigation and transparency. This must be done through adequate provision of finance, technology transfer, and capacity building to facilitate the effective implementation of the Convention, its Kyoto Protocol and its Paris Agreement.
12. Ministers reaffirmed that adaptation is a key imperative for developing countries and requires an urgent global response. They emphasized the importance of the provision of enhanced as well as predictable support for adaptation from developed countries to developing countries, recognizing the adaptation efforts of developing country Parties.
13. Ministers stressed that the enhanced transparency framework established by the Paris Agreement should facilitate exchange of information, best practices, as well as address the needs faced by developing countries, ensuring the required flexibility. Ministers underlined the significant challenges of developing countries on transparency-related capacities and urged developed countries to provide new, additional, adequate and timely finance support in this regard.
14. Ministers 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). They stressed in this regard that climate finance should not be a vehicle for increasing the indebtedness of developing countries.
15. 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. This support should be new and additional, and over and above their 0.7% of GNP commitment with respect to Official Development Assistance (ODA). They noted with concern the insufficiency and inadequacy of the support provided by developed countries to date.
16. They stressed that the 2020 deliberations on the new collective quantified goal on finance should be based on the lessons drawn from experience relating to meeting the USD 100 billion pledge, informed by the needs of developing countries and adequate to meet the ambition. In this regard, they stressed the importance of establishing a structured deliberation within the UNFCCC, in order to conclude this work.
17. Ministers restated that a new collective quantified goal on finance by developed countries, with a significant publicly funded component, is one of the crucial signals that the regime under the UNFCCC must give to investors, both public and private, in order to match the urgency of climate change. Securing scaled-up, adequate and proper means and resources for developing countries is indispensable to enable them to meet their commitments and implement the Paris Agreement.
18. Ministers expressed the expectation that the first replenishment of the Green Climate Fund by the end of 2019 will double the initial resource mobilization pledge, ensuring that financial contributions by developed countries match the ambition, needs and priorities of developing countries.
19. The BASIC group underscored the importance of concluding the discussions on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, one of the remaining issues from the Katowice package of decisions, which will assist those participating in implementing the Agreement in a cost effective manner. The Ministers recalled that decisions on other subjects should not pre-empt discussions under Article 6 and expressed their expectation of reaching a satisfactory outcome on this matter in December, at the Santiago COP.  They underlined that Parties should address the Article 6 issues in a balanced and inclusive manner, including the issue of transition of projects under the Clean Development Mechanism. They highlighted that Parties have a strong foundation for future work on Article 6 and that it is important to conclude work in accordance with the mandates set out in the Paris Agreement and the accompanying decision.
20. Ministers noted the work of International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Civil Aviation (ICAO) on reduction of carbon emissions and underscored that work being undertaken by IMO and ICAO must complement the UNFCCC, its Kyoto Protocol and its Paris Agreement and conform to their key principles, in particular Equity and CBDR-RC.
21. Ministers highlighted the importance of mechanisms on loss and damage under the UNFCCC and urged developed country Parties to provide funding for loss and damage arising from climate change in developing countries.
22. BASIC Ministers reiterated their unequivocal commitment to support the State of Palestine, as the Chair of the Group of 77 and China, with a view to strengthening the unity of the Group of 77 and China and advancing the common interests of developing countries.
23. Ministers welcomed the offer of China to host the 29th BASIC Ministerial Meeting.

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21-Nov-2018: The 27th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change held in New Delhi

The 27th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change among China, India, Brazil, and South Africa was held in New Delhi between Nov. 19 and 20. The meeting was chaired by H.E. Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India.

Ministers appreciated the role of the Fijian Presidency, commending its contribution to the UNFCCC process, particularly the Fiji Momentum for Implementation adopted at COP 23, and the Talanoa Dialogue. They pledged BASIC group’s full support to the incoming Polish Presidency of COP 24 for a successful outcome in Katowice.

The BASIC Ministers emphasized their deep concern for climate change 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, and to promote a global green and low carbon transition and ecological civilization with a view to building a community with a shared future for mankind. They reiterated that the Paris Agreement is a significant step for advancing global action against climate change, based on the recognition of  the needs and special circumstances of developing countries in accordance with the principles of Equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC), in the light of different national circumstances. They emphasized that global climate action should promote Climate Justice and a Just Transition by recognizing the fundamental equality of all people in accessing economic growth and sustainable development.

Ministers welcomed the 184 ratifications, to date, of the Paris Agreement adopted under the UNFCCC. They called on all remaining Parties to the UNFCCC to join the Agreement as soon as possible.

Ministers reiterated their commitment to work together with all Parties in an open, transparent, inclusive and Party-driven manner to achieve a balanced and comprehensive outcome to finalize the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP) at COP 24, fulfilling the mandate agreed in COP 22, that sets the groundwork for the implementation of the Paris Agreement. They further emphasized that CBDR-RC, in the light of different national circumstances, should be operationalized in all elements of the PAWP. The outcome of the PAWP should support the enhancement of ambition without backsliding on the rules-based system.

 Ministers took note of the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on global warming of 1.5 °C, which highlights the high vulnerability of developing countries to climate change effects and high resultant costs of adaptation. Ministers recalled that the Paris Agreement aims to limit the temperature rise to well under 2°C, and aspires to limit it to 1.5°C, recognizing that countries will need to act expeditiously to achieve this aim based on the principles of Equity and CBDR-RC, in the light of different national circumstances. They urged developed countries to provide adequate and predictable means of implementation to developing countries to enable them to enhance their climate ambition.

Ministers reiterated that the contributions of all countries to tackling climate change are nationally-determined and comprise of action on mitigation, adaptation and means of implementation. They noted with appreciation that 180 countries have communicated first Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), representing unprecedented broad participation, thereby strengthening multilateralism. Ministers reaffirmed that successive NDCs must show progression, recalling that the NDCs of BASIC countries have demonstrated a high level of ambition, in the context of addressing poverty and sustainable development.

The Ministers underlined that the current work on guidance in relation to mitigation components of NDCs should assist Parties with the preparation and communication of their NDCs, respecting the nationally determined nature of Parties’ contributions and should not impose onerous requirements on developing countries.

Ministers reaffirmed that adaptation is a key imperative for developing countries and requires an urgent global response. They emphasized that the PAWP should provide guidance on both ex-ante and ex-post adaptation information in adaptation communications and biennial transparency reports respectively with the aim of providing clarity on the progress towards achieving the global goal on adaptation. Ministers emphasized the importance of provision of enhanced as well as predictable support for adaptation from developed countries to developing countries, recognizing the adaptation efforts of developing country Parties.

 Ministers noted that the enhanced provision of new, adequate and predictable finance, technology development and transfer as well as capacity-building support by developed countries to developing countries are key enablers for developing countries to achieve higher ambition in their actions, in the context of sustainable development.

Ministers reiterated that public finance is the fulcrum of enhanced climate ambition by developing countries and urged developed countries to fulfill their climate finance commitments of mobilizing USD 100 billion per annum by 2020. They encouraged developed countries to progressively and substantially scale up their financial support and finalize a new collective finance goal to inform Parties for future action through NDCs.

 Ministers welcomed the launch of the 1st formal replenishment process of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and called on developed countries to scale up resources pledged to the GCF for mitigation and adaptation actions in developing countries. 

They further recalled the need for improved clarity and methodologies to track and account for the provision of finance by developed countries. In this regard, they stressed the importance of making equal progress on both ex-ante and ex-post biennial communication of quantitative and qualitative information by developed countries on public financial resources to be provided to developing countries referred to in Article 9.5 as well as Article 9.7 of the Paris Agreement. They stressed that the development of technical expert review guidelines to ensure the robustness of reported information on provision of support will help build trust among Parties, which is crucial for the successful implementation of the Paris Agreement.

 Ministers called for robust guidelines on the enhanced technology framework and periodic assessment of the effectiveness and predictability of technology support under the Technology Mechanism. They stressed the need for a clear linkage between the Technology Mechanism and the Financial Mechanism.

Ministers urged developed countries to enhance support to developing countries for capacity-building actions related to project or programme development and implementation, including related to transparency, finance, adaptation, mitigation and technology development and transfer to facilitate effective implementation of the Convention and its Paris Agreement.

Ministers emphasized that guidance being developed under the enhanced transparency framework must be balanced and comprehensive to address not only mitigation, but very importantly adaptation including loss and damage, as well as support. Ministers were of the view that flexibility must be provided and built into the Modalities, Procedures and Guidelines (MPGs) for developing countries that require it in line with their national circumstances.

They stressed that adequate and predictable financial and other support should be provided to developing countries to fulfill their obligations under the enhanced transparency framework. In this regard, the Ministers strongly supported the extension of the mandate of the Consultative Group of Experts (CGE) so that it can continue its support for developing countries in implementing transparency-related provisions and enhancing their relevant capacities under the Convention and its Paris Agreement.

The BASIC countries asserted that the Global Stock Take (GST) should be conducted in the light of equity and the best available science. They stressed that the GST process should be comprehensive, considering mitigation, adaptation, means of implementation, as well as including loss and damage and response measures, and reflecting equity.

Ministers underscored that enhanced pre-2020 ambition and actions are the foundation for post-2020 ambition and actions. They highlighted that BASIC countries have ratified the Doha Amendment for the second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol. They further noted with concern that 23 ratifications are still pending for it to enter into force and invited all remaining Parties that have not yet done so to ratify the Doha Amendment.

Ministers took note of the synthesis report on pre-2020 implementation and ambition published by the UNFCCC Secretariat in September 2018. The Ministers highlighted the significant gaps in pre-2020 climate efforts not only in mitigation, but also in adaptation and support to developing countries. They underlined that time is of the essence for any meaningful pre-2020 action and the implementation gaps should not present an additional burden to developing countries in the post-2020 period. They urged developed countries to take urgent actions to close the pre-2020 implementation gaps by 2023 which can be a useful input for the first GST.

Ministers appreciated the discussions and sharing of views during the Facilitative Talanoa Dialogue at COP 23. They look forward to a rich exchange of views during the high-level Talanoa dialogue at COP 24, with consideration of pre-2020 actions and support as a crucial element, and its successful culmination in 2018 as per the agreed modalities. 

BASIC Ministers reiterated their unequivocal commitment to support Egypt, as the Chair of the Group of 77 and China, with a view to strengthening the unity of the Group of 77 and China and advancing the common interests of developing countries.

The Ministers noted the work being undertaken by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on climate change. They recognized the importance of efforts to address greenhouse gas emission reductions in the international aviation and shipping sector and emphasized the cooperation of BASIC countries in those fora. Ministers underlined that such efforts must complement the UNFCCC, its Kyoto Protocol and its Paris Agreement and conform to their key principles, in particular Equity and CBDR-RC.

Ministers welcomed the offer of Brazil to host the 28th BASIC Ministerial Meeting in the first half of 2019.

21-May-2018: 26th BASIC Ministerial Meeting of Environment Ministers held in Durban.

The 26th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change among China, India, Brazil, and South Africa was held in Durban, South Africa between May 19 and 20. India was represented by Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan.

At the meeting, the BASIC Ministers exchanged views, coordinated positions, and reached broad consensuses on the ongoing global process on climate governance, the outcomes of the UNFCCC COP 24, and the major issues about the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

BASIC countries decided to preserve integrity of historic 2015 Paris Agreement, including principles of common but differentiated responsibilities and equity. They held that world is at critical stage in combating climate change and response of developed nations to tackle the issue is still not adequate.

They reiterated that developed nations should take lead in terms of mitigation and providing means of implementation to developing countries. They should equally give importance to ambition of developing countries by providing them supported and sustained, predictable and adequate finance, technology and capacity-building support. Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan reiterated his appeal for joint efforts to create societal movement in combating climate change through Green Good Deeds.