Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav on Friday urged ministers of the BRICS bloc to ensure that available carbon space is utilised by developing countries, while stressing that a larger BRICS can now set the agenda, priorities and way forward for tackling environmental challenges.
Yadav made the appeal while virtually attending the 10th meeting of the BRICS environment ministers under the chairmanship of Russia. This was the first meeting of the BRICS environment ministers after five new member countries joined the bloc, namely Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The original BRICS bloc had Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa as members.
“The Union minister stated that a larger and bigger BRICS can now set the agenda, priorities and way forward for tackling environmental challenges. He stressed that initiatives under BRICS are firmly guided by the principles and goals of the UN system and its agencies, and BRICS nations should ensure that available carbon space is utilised by the developing countries,” a statement from the union environment ministry said on Friday.
He also urged the BRICS nations to promote implementation of the Resolution on Sustainable Lifestyles, adopted at the sixth United Nations Environment Assembly.
“Yadav stressed that the developing countries need a level playing field, and asked the developed countries to fulfill their obligations for means of implementation, including finances promised at UN Climate COP and Convention on Biological Diversity. He cautioned that climate finance should not be seen as a means of investment,” the statement added.
The second annual Indicators of Global Climate Change Report released on June 6 shows that the remaining carbon budget – how much carbon dioxide can be emitted before committing us to 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming – is only around 200 gigatonnes (billion tonnes), which is around five years’ worth of current emissions.
In 2020, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) calculated the remaining carbon budget for 1.5°C in the 300-900 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide range, with a central estimate of 500.
“Since then, CO2 emissions and global warming have continued. At the start of 2024, the remaining carbon budget for 1.5°C stood at 100-450 gigatonnes, with a central estimate of 200,” the report said.
