BASIC Countries Help Durban Talks Achieve Landmark Breakthrough

After two-week marathon talks, negotiators have finally achieved significant progress in Durban, making the conference a landmark in the fight against climate change.

The Durban talks launched a roadmap toward an international climate accord covering all of the world's major carbon emitters for the first time. The measure will be completed by 2015 and take effect from 2020.

The Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (AWG-DPEA) was agreed upon at the talks, under which, the Kyoto Protocol will start its second commitment period in 2013, another major result achieved at the talks.

Negotiators also made operational the new Green Climate Fund, which will send US$100 billion per year to developing countries by 2020.

Although the process is zigzagging, the conference has achieved landmark breakthrough that will contribute to the unity between developing countries, especially the BASIC countries - Brazil, South Africa, India and China.

Upholding the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities," the four countries pushed forward establishment of the Green Climate Fund at the talks, providing resources and technology support for poor and vulnerable countries.

Under the spirits of solidarity and cooperation, the four emerging economies spoke in one voice, which dispelled rumors of discord between them and safeguarded their own interests as well as those of their counterparts.

Meanwhile, their open and flexible diplomacy also helped the Durban talks yield tangible achievements.

The BASIC countries find a junction with the European Union on supporting the renewal of the Kyoto Protocol, despite Europe's aggressive roadmap considered tough to the world's major emitters like China and India.

However, the outcome of the Durban talks is not a perfect one that can satisfy all participants. That's because the span of the protocol's second commitment period remains unclear and the green fund was created without a specific managing mechanism and financing resources.

But, Durban is not the terminal of the campaign against climate change. Its outstanding issues will be discussed at the Qatar conference next year.

And what's more important is that as long as all countries can work together, they will make new steps forward in the fight against climate change, a global challenge for all mankind.