Home|South-South Cooperation|South-South Cooperation in the News|12th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change: Final Communiqué

by Institute for Global Dialogue

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Ministers once again welcomed the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) and the adoption of the document The Future We Want, which reaffirms the Rio Principles, in particular the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and urges Parties to the UNFCCC and Parties to the Kyoto Protocol to fully implement their commitments, as well as decisions adopted under those agreements.

Ministers emphasized the active role of the Group of 77 and China in the climate change negotiations, which has been confirmed under the current leadership of the Algerian Presidency. They reiterated the importance of unity among developing countries in dealing with climate change, and reaffirmed the continuation of the “BASIC plus” approach to foster unity amongst developing countries, as well as the importance of South-South cooperation.

Ministers stressed that the outcome of COP-17/CMP-7, in Durban, was a carefully balanced package, which must be fully implemented in all its aspects. They reiterated their commitment to a successful outcome of COP-18/CMP-8, while expressing their full support to Qatar, as the incoming President of the Doha Climate Change Conference.

Ministers emphasized the centrality of the decision to initiate the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol on the 1st of January, 2013. They underscored that the final formal adoption of the second commitment period is a key deliverable for Doha and an essential basis for ambition within the regime. Ministers welcomed, in this regard, the progress achieved under the AWG-KP during the intersessional meetings held in Bonn and Bangkok, in May and September of 2012, including with respect to the formulation of a Group of 77 and China proposal for addressing surplus and carry-over of units from the first to the second commitment period.

Ministers urged Annex I Parties to present concrete information on their quantified emission reduction commitments for inscription under the second commitment period. Ministers expressed concern about the level of ambition reflected in QELROs submitted by Annex I Parties that are Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, which is far below what science requires. They reiterated that Annex I Parties that decide not to join the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol demonstrate an unwillingness to substantively cut their greenhouse gas emissions.

Ministers emphasized the importance of achieving a successful and meaningful conclusion of the AWG-LCA in Doha, as part of the Durban package. Serious engagement and substantive work are needed to reach an agreed outcome and finalize negotiations on unresolved issues mandated under the Bali Action Plan, such as equity, IPR and unilateral trade measures. Additionally, it will be necessary to reach an understanding on how to address the ongoing issues in case we are not able to conclude them in Doha.

Ministers stressed that key issues cannot be allowed to fall off the table in order to achieve successful closure of the AWG-LCA. This will require the consideration of different possible solutions, according to the technical or political nature of the different issues, in order to ensure their adequate treatment in appropriate technical or political bodies beyond 2012.

Ministers also emphasized the importance of issues related to means of implementation. This includes the consideration of sources of long-term finance and the continued scaling-up of financing in the 2013-2020 period. They also underscored the importance of concluding, in Doha, the necessary arrangements between the Conference of the Parties and the Green Climate Fund, in order to ensure that the Fund works under the authority and guidance of the Conference of the Parties.

Ministers emphasized that successfully concluding the work of both the AWG-KP and the AWG-LCA in Doha will be crucial to strengthen confidence among Parties and offer important definitions for the work of the Durban Platform. They welcomed the initial exploratory work carried out by the ADP and expressed the need to continue this work in Doha, in a flexible and constructive manner, providing confidence to the international community that we are implementing the Durban outcome.

Ministers recognized that the Durban Platform, in defining the negotiation of a Protocol, another legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force to come into effect in 2020, offers a clear opportunity for the strengthening of the regime, through enhanced implementation of the Convention, in order to achieve an equitable, inclusive, effective and multilateral rules based outcome. They reaffirmed that both the negotiation process and its result shall be under the Convention, and in full accordance with its principles and provisions, in particular the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. They recognized that all countries should participate in an enhanced global effort to be implemented after 2020, under the UNFCCC, which would respect the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and differentiation between Annex I and non-Annex I Parties. Ministers stressed that the institutional architecture built on the basis of dec
isions adopted in Bali, Cancun, Durban and Doha will continue to function in the post-2020 period, as a foundation for the full implementation of the Convention.

Ministers noted with concern the insufficiency of mitigation pledges presented up to now by Annex I Parties, which in aggregate represent a lower mitigation potential contribution than the nationally appropriate mitigation actions presented by non-Annex I Parties. They called on Annex I Parties to do more, in line with their historical responsibilities and the demands of science, by means of participation in the second commitment period or, for those that are still unwilling to join, by adopting commitments that are fully comparable to those under the Kyoto Protocol, as part of the Bali Action Plan outcome.

Ministers underscored that fulfillment of obligations on the part of Annex I Parties to provide enhanced financial, technological and capacity-building support to developing countries is critical in order to allow a greater number of developing countries to come forward with their nationally appropriate mitigation actions. The current level of support available is regrettably insufficient to address even the actions already presented, as part of the Bali Action Plan.

Regarding the ADP workstream on ambition, Ministers stressed the centrality of the UNFCCC and the importance of its principles and provisions, in particular the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, and welcomed complementary initiatives that explore specific mitigation opportunities, while respecting these principles and provisions. They further stressed the importance of clarity on the additionality of these initiatives and on their environmental integrity.

Ministers reiterated their concern regarding continued unilateral action by the European Union to include international aviation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS), as well as with similar intentions regarding other sectors. This approach undermines confidence and weakens efforts to tackle climate change on a multilateral basis.

Ministers confirmed their support to India as host of the upcoming 11th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and 6th Meeting of Parties to the Cartagena Protocol, to be held in Hyderabad, from the 1stto the 19th of October, 2012.

Ministers welcomed the offer by China to host the 13th BASIC Ministerial Meeting in November of 2012.
 

  • Joint statement issued at the conclusion of the 12th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change – Brasília, Brazil – 20th and 21st of September, 2012

Sourced from the Brazilian Ministry of External Relations:
http://www.itamaraty.gov.br/sala-de-imprensa/notas-a-imprensa/declaracao-conjunta-proferida-na-conclusao-da-xii-reuniao-ministerial-do-basic-sobre-mudanca-do-clima-brasilia-brasil-20-e-21-de-setembro-2012

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