The role of BASIC Countries in the Climate Change Negotiations after Copenhagen

The BASIC countries are expected to maintain a dual role in climate negotiations, participating in both formal UNFCCC processes and informal negotiations with powers like the United States. While they helped broker the Copenhagen Accord, they maintain that it does not replace the UNFCCC's two-track system of industrialized country commitments and long-term cooperative action. To counter criticisms of pursuing individual agendas, the BASIC countries are likely to align more closely with other developing nations and intergovernmental groups, such as the African Union, focusing on shared priorities like technology transfer, climate justice, and the requirement for developed nations to fund adaptation and mitigation.

• The BASIC countries are expected to operate within a two-track negotiation framework consisting of formal processes under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and informal negotiations with countries such as the United States.
• Despite their role in the Copenhagen Accord, the BASIC countries argue that the Accord is not a substitute for the UNFCCC's two-track system, which focuses on emissions reductions for industrialized countries and long-term cooperative action.
• The BASIC countries continue to advocate for developed nations to provide specific targets for emissions reduction, technology for mitigation, and financial commitments, noting that the Copenhagen Accord mentioned US$30 billion per annum from 2010-2012 and the creation of a Copenhagen Climate Fund but lacked specific emission reduction targets for developed countries.
• There is a strategic alignment between the BASIC countries and the African Union (AU) regarding climate justice and the balance between development and emissions reduction, specifically concerning the costs of adaptation and the transfer of mitigation technologies.

APA

Whande, W. (n.d.). The role of BASIC Countries in the Climate Change Negotiations after Copenhagen. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/the-role-of-basic-countries-in-the-climate-change-negotiations-after-copenhagen

Chicago

Whande, Webster. The role of BASIC Countries in the Climate Change Negotiations after Copenhagen. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/the-role-of-basic-countries-in-the-climate-change-negotiations-after-copenhagen.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Whande |first1=Webster |title=The role of BASIC Countries in the Climate Change Negotiations after Copenhagen |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/iss-today/the-role-of-basic-countries-in-the-climate-change-negotiations-after-copenhagen |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{whandendrole, author = {Whande, Webster}, title = {{The role of BASIC Countries in the Climate Change Negotiations after Copenhagen}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/iss-today/the-role-of-basic-countries-in-the-climate-change-negotiations-after-copenhagen}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }