COP28: BASIC countries demand equity at centre of Global Stocktake

The principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDRRC) must be at the centre of the Global Stocktake -- a periodic review of global efforts to achieve goals of the Paris Agreement -- and operationalised in its each and every component, BASIC countries have said.

In their submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) outlining their expectations from the Global Stocktake (GST) in September, the BASIC group said it should acknowledge the existing implementation gaps, particularly those related to the pre-2020 period.

The BASIC group comprises Brazil, South Africa, India, and China.

The developed nations either acknowledge their historical responsibilities, take lead in climate action or admit their failure to do so, they said.

The Global Stocktake is a two-year UN review process to evaluate collective global progress in meeting the Paris Agreement's goals. Initiated in Glasgow in 2021, the first-ever GST will conclude at the annual climate talks in Dubai in December.

According to UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell, the stocktake is an opportunity for course correction, a chance to increase ambition to mitigate the most severe consequences of climate change.

The BASIC grouping emphasised that equity and the best available science should inform all aspects of the global stocktake. Equity should not only serve as an overarching principle but also be integrated into every aspect of the GST outcome, the countries said.

"The principle of CBDR-RC is ever more relevant today and for our future efforts and must be at the centre of the GST and operationalised in each and every component," they said.

The principle of equity ensures that countries' efforts to combat climate change are viewed in light of their contributions to greenhouse gas emissions, historically and currently, as well as the likely future emissions they will generate.

The CBDR-RC principle recognises that each country bears responsibility for addressing climate change, but developed countries should shoulder primary responsibilities, given their significant historical and current greenhouse gas emissions.

The BASIC countries said developed countries must honour their historical responsibilities or recognise they have failed, or have no willingness to fulfil their legal obligations of taking the lead in addressing the challenge of climate change. "Such honesty is essential for responsibly aligning narrative and action, as we cannot negotiate with the atmosphere," they said.

They also said that CBDR-RC should not be used as an excuse for inaction. Instead, it should be utilised to ensure that climate change is addressed collectively based on both equity and science, leaving no one behind in fair and equitable transitions that engage all nations in ambitious climate action tailored to their national circumstances while reducing inequalities within and among countries.

India, in its submission on expected GST outcomes, had previously emphasised that it should prioritise addressing pre-2020 gaps, capture equity as an overarching concern, and acknowledge the serious lack of ambition among developed nations in combating climate change.

With developed countries responsible for most of the carbon utilisation historically and at present, India has stressed that developing countries need their share in the "atmosphere" to enable them to meet their development goals.