The 28th Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change, hosted by the BASIC countries (Brazil, South Africa, India, and China), took place in Sao Paulo, Brazil from 14th to 16th August 2019. The participating nations expressed deep concern about climate change and its adverse impacts, and reaffirmed their dedication to the successful implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), its Kyoto Protocol, and its Paris Agreement. These agreements are based on the principles of Equity and Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC), taking into account different national circumstances.
The Meeting’s Emphasis and Concerns
The Ministers emphasized the need for responsible, comprehensive, urgent, and ambitious actions against climate change, including in urban environments—a crucial area often overlooked. The group expressed worry over the trend of developing countries being denied their right to support in various forums, including the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). From this perspective, they stressed that climate finance must not increase the indebtedness of developing countries.
Call to Developed Nations
The BASIC Ministers called out to developed countries to fulfill their climate finance commitments by mobilizing an annual $100 billion by 2020 for developing countries. This funding should be transparent, based on a grant basis and should not contribute to increasing developing countries’ debt levels.
Upcoming Events
This ministerial meeting was conducted as a precursor to the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP-25) meet, which is scheduled to take place in Chile from 2nd to 3rd December 2019.
About the BASIC Group
| BASIC Country | Date of Commitment | Population | Geographical Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 28th November 2009 | 211 million | 8.515 million km² |
| South Africa | 28th November 2009 | 58.56 million | 1.221 million km² |
| India | 28th November 2009 | 1.366 billion | 3.287 million km² |
| China | 28th November 2009 | 1.398 billion | 9.597 million km² |
The Formation of BASIC
The BASIC group was established following an agreement signed by the four countries on 28th November 2009. The group agreed to act collectively at the then-upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly known as the Copenhagen Summit. These nations account for one-third of the world’s geographical area and nearly 40% of the global population.
The Next Meeting
The next ministerial meeting of the BASIC group is set to be hosted by China. The previous, 27th meeting, was held on 19th and 20th November 2018 in New Delhi, India.
