Ministers from the Brazil, South Africa, India and China (Basic) grouping raised concerns on Friday over the lack of ambition shown by industrialised countries party to the Kyoto Protocol through the quantified emission limitation or reduction objectives (QELROs).

Brazil External Relations Vice Minister of Environment, Energy, Science and Technology Luis Alberto Figueiredo Machado said the QELROs outlined were “far below” what is required by science and their commitment to reduce their emissions by at least 25% to 40% of 1990 levels by 2020.

Annex 1 countries, including the US, agreed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2% on average from 2008 to 2012. However, since the US has not ratified the treaty, the collective emissions reductions of Annex 1 Kyoto countries fell to 4.2% below base year.

The Ministers called for the adoption of a ratifiable second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol and its immediate implementation at the beginning of 2013.

The Basic Ministers also emphasised the importance of successfully concluding the work of the ad-hoc working group on long-term cooperative action, which falls under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The Ministers also highlighted the urgency of the full operationalisation of the institutional mechanisms agreed to at the seventeenth Congress of the Parties (COP 17), including the adaption framework, as well as finance and technology mechanisms.

South Africa’s Water and Environmental Minister Edna Molewa said the country was making progress in implementing the decisions made at COP 17 in Durban, with the construction of renewable power capacity and other efficiency projects in transport and water.