BASIC and Climate Change

Ministers from Brazil, China, India and South Africa (BASIC) concluded their 11th Meeting on Climate Change with the adoption of a joint statement. Therein, leaders reiterate their commitment to a successful outcome of UNFCCC/COP-18, reaffirm the UNCSD (Rio+20) outcome document, as well as the outcome from UNFCCC/COP-17. Furthermore, the statement expresses concerns over the inclusion of international aviation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS), and the planned unilateral inclusion of other sectors, noting that this apporach "undermines confidence and weakens efforts to tackle climate change on a multilateral basis."
 
BASIC Joint Statement

Project Predator

INTERPOL's Environmental Crime Programme along with the World Bank and partners launched Project Predator during the 80th General Assembly. The project seeks to work with the 13 tiger-range countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar/Burma, Nepal, Thailand, Viet Nam and the Russian Federation to organize collaborative, high-level international efforts to improve political will, transform this will into departmental support, and train officers in the necessary skills. The Project also calls for countries to establish National Tiger Crime Task Forces, which it hopes will encourage the use of modern, intelligence-led enforcement practices for tiger conservation.

While not limited to the protection of tigers, it will also undertake initiatives and advocacy for all Asian “big cats,” including leopards, snow leopards, clouded leopards and Asiatic lions, which are are traded in the same manner as tiger parts.

  

BASIC Position for UNFCCC/COP-17

The 9th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change, attended by representatives from Brazil, South Africa, India and China (BASIC), as well as observers from the Group of 77 and China, the Arab Group and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS); concluded with a joint statement in which ministers agreed that the Durban Climate Change Conference should achieve a comprehensive, fair and balanced outcome to enable the full, effective and sustained implementation of the Convention and its Kyoto Protocol. The 10th meeting will be held in India during the first quarter of 2012.

CCS: New Publication

A new publication has been released titled: Carbon Capture and Storage: Emerging Legal and Regulatory Issues covering developments in international law, as well as the European Union, North America, and Australia, with perspectives from China and India. Finance and questions of public perception and participation receive particular attention. Throughout the study, authors consider significant trends, critically evaluate progress to date, and identify key legal gaps and obstacles that still need to be addressed.

UNCSD (Rio+20) Dehli Dialogue

The Secretariat of UNCSD (Rio+20) and India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests convened a ministerial dialogue on green economy and inclusive growth from 3-4 Ocotber in New Delhi (India). Views were shared on financing of a green economy, a green economy roadmap and energy access, among others. The proposed set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and possible guiding principles for a definition of "green economy" were also discussed.
Website

Indus Waters Treaty Arbitration

On September 23, the Court of Arbitration constituted under the Indus Waters Treaty 1960 in respect of the Indus Waters Kishenganga Arbitration, between the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of India, issued its Order on the Interim Measures Application of Pakistan dated June 6, 2011.

The two questions identified by Pakistan as being at the centre of the dispute are:

a. Whether India’s proposed diversion of the river Kishenganga (Neelum) into another Tributary, i.e. the Bonar Madmati Nallah, being one central element of the Kishenganga Project, breaches India’s legal obligations owed to Pakistan under the Treaty, as interpreted and applied in accordance with international law, including India’s obligations under Article III(2) (let flow all the waters of the Western rivers and not permit any interference with those waters) and Article IV(6) (maintenance of natural channels)?

b. Whether under the Treaty, India may deplete or bring the reservoir level of a run-of-river Plant below Dead Storage Level (DSL) in any circumstances except in the case of an unforeseen emergency?

.

CBD/COP-11: High Level Segment

In a letter to Ministers dated 1 August, Jayanthi Natarajan, Minister of Environment and Forests of India, host of COP-11, identified five key issues for the High-level Segment:- biodiversity and livelihoods;
- integration of value of biodiversity in national planning and accounting process;
- strategic resource mobilization;
- coastal and marine biodiversity; and
- operationalization of the Nagoya Protocol.

The COP will take place from 8-19 October 2012 in Hyderabad (India), with the High-level Segment held in the last three days.

ICIMOD: CBD Implementation

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has released a new publication titled: Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity: A retrospective analysis in the Hindu Kush-Himalyan countries. Using the national reports to CBD as the primary source, the paper examines progress made by the eight countries of the region: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Myanmar and Pakistan.

Climate Change and Human Rights Conference

The Bar Council of Uttarakhand and and the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies of India will host a conference titled: ClimateChange and Human Rights: In the Light of Indian Constitution on 13-14 August at Uttarakhand Academy of Administration in Nainital (India).
The conference will bring together leading experts, policymakers and government officials to discuss:
- Human rights violations due to changing climate;
- State responsibility and the notion of ‘welfare sate’ in a climate constrained world;
- Constraints to meet the MDGs and minimum policy mandates under Chapter IV of the   Constitution of India;
- Fundamental rights violations due to climate change;
- The role of of the judiciary and legal fraternities in ensuring protection of societies from adverse effect of climate change; and
- Climate related movement and security challenges.

BASIC-7: Joint Statement

The 7th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change took place in Zimbali (South Africa), from 28-29 May  and was attended by ministers from South Africa, China, Brazil, India, and Argentina as chair of the G77, as well as the incoming Climate Change Conference President Maite Nkoana-Mashabane. Ministers discussed the work required to achieve a comprehensive and balanced outcome at the Durban Climate Change Conference in December 2011 to complete the mandate of the Bali Road Map and issued a Joint Statement in this regard.

2nd Africa-India Forum

Convened from 24-25 May, the meeting aimed to strengthen cooperation ties in economics; science, technology, research and development; social development and capacity building; tourism; and infrastructure, energy and environment, among others. As outputs, the Forum adopted two documents: the Addis Ababa Declaration, in which the African Union (AU) and India agree to enhance their partnership to address global challenges; and a Framework for Enhanced Cooperation, which substantiates this commitment.

Biocultural Heritage Website

A new website draws on research by the International Institute for Environment and Devleopment (IIED), research partners and indigenous and local communities in Peru, Panama, Kenya, India and China to present biocultural strategies and methodologies for horizontal networking amongst marginalised communities; and emerging biocultural legal and policy frameworks. It provides guidance and downloadable resources for grassroots organisations, researchers, practitioners and policymakers.

Biocultural heritage includes a wealth of biological resources – from genetic to landscape level – and long standing traditions and practices for their sustainable use and adaptive management. It also describes the bundle of rights that support indigenous peoples and local communities – Traditional Resource Rights.

US-Indian Relations: Climate Change and Energy

This report from NRDC reviews the progress made between India and the US through their Green Partnership, which was launched jointly in November 2009.