Joint Statement issued at the conclusion of the 27th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change, New Delhi, India, 20 November 2018
The 27th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change was held in New Delhi, India, on 19-20 November 2018. The meeting was chaired by H.E. Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India and attended by H.E. Mr. Edson Duarte, Minister of the Environment of Brazil, H.E. Mr. Xie Zhenhua, Special Representative for Climate Change Affairs of China, Dr Tsakani Ngomane, Deputy Director General for Climate Change, Air Quality and Sustainable Development, Department of Environmental Affairs of South Arica.
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 Stocktake (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.
