BASIC group accepts 31 January deadline for voluntary emission reduction

Environment experts were in for a disappointment from the second meeting of ministers of the BASIC group on Sunday.

Ministers from Brazil, South Africa, India and China that comprise the BASIC grouping, in a joint statement announced they would communicate information on their voluntary mitigation actions to the UNFCCC on schedule.

The statement after the day long meeting called for convening two negotiating groups to be convened - the Kyoto and the Bali talks by March 2010.

The statement also called for at least six meetings of the negotiating groups prior to the conference in Mexico in December 2010. According to the ministers this, ''would help for a successful conclusion in Mexico''. However what would constitute a ''successful conclusion to ongoing negotiations'' was not spelled out.

While agreeing to the 31January deadline set by UN for communicating their ''voluntary mitigation actions'', environment minister Jairam Ramesh steered clear of the recent controversies about melting glaciers and recalled the important contribution of the BASIC countries in its finalisation.

Earlier during the day, PM Manmohan Singh rejected the UN deadline of 31 January for submission of emission targets and climate actions in accordance with the Copenhagen Accord.