Indonesia to attend BASIC meeting, but has no plans to join group

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post 29 Mar 10;

Indonesia, which has ambition to mediate in climate talks, will attend the meeting of BASIC-block countries (Brazil, India, South Africa and China) next month, but there is no official word on whether it will join the group.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s climate change adviser Agus Purnomo asserted that Indonesia would not be in hurry to decide on whether to join the group as no clear agenda was being promoted by the group to ensure climate talks success.

“We will conduct in-depth analysis based on our current position as a mediator in global climate talks,” he told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

BASIC ministers meet every three months, and are scheduled to meet in Cape Town, South Africa,
next month.

A source told the Post that a number of developed nations had warned Indonesia to not join the
BASIC group.

They also expressed concern over Indonesia’s interest in the group, fearing it would make already difficult climate talk negotiations even more protracted.

Agus insisted Indonesia would stick to its aim of bridging parties with different positions in climate talks to reach a consensus.

“Our strategy is to take the middle path to ensure all parties reach a consensus on a climate deal,” he said.

“If this is not the prevailing view of the BASIC group, then we will not join it.”

BASIC was formed before last year’s Copenhagen climate talks in Denmark.

It was reported that BASIC countries played important roles in the drafting of the non-binding Copenhagen Accord.

All BASIC countries are members of the G77 bloc of developing nations.

The G77, which was established in 1964 by 136 developing nations, has become a powerful lobby group in international forums, including climate talks.

But in recent years, differences among G77 members continue to widen on issues of emission reductions, mitigation and adaptation.

In its first breakthrough, the group rejected the draft on global emission cuts proposed by host country Denmark. At the time, Denmark did not invite G77 members to the closed-door meeting.
University of Indonesia international environmental law expert Andri Wibisana said the BASIC coalition was not a permanent bloc since each member had a different agenda and greenhouse gas emission record.

“There is no need for Indonesia to join the group as it is only a temporary coalition,” he said, adding that Indonesia should seek to form a coalition with countries that had a similar take on the climate talks.

The BASIC countries last met in January, shortly after the Copenhagen talks.

The group expressed support for the Copenhagen Accord by submitting emission cut targets, but without associating them with the accord.

Indonesia has pledged to cut emissions by 26 percent by 2020, financed only by its local budget, and by 41 percent by 2020 if developed nations provide financial assistance. Indonesia also ratified the Copenhagen Accord.

G77 countries took different stances on the Copenhagen Accord.

Like the BASIC countries, nine members of the G77, including Croatia, Namibia and Palau, supported the accord but rejected “associating” with it.

The Cook Islands, Kuwait, Nauru and Ecuador submitted letters to the UNFCCC not associating with or supporting the Accord.

Five other island states and oil-exporting countries notified the UN that they would not associate with the Accord.

BASIC countries asked the UNFCCC Secretariat to hold six rounds of negotiations this year beginning in March, so that the process could culminate in time for the next climate summit in Mexico City in December.

Negotiators from 192 countries will meet in Mexico City this year to discuss legally binding emission cut targets, which have been rejected by developed nations.