Projects

SEI Contact: Karl Hallding

+46 8 674 75 58

The Copenhagen Theatre: China, US and the formation of the BASIC alliance

In the wake of COP 15 the large developing economies of Brazil, South Africa, India and China have emerged as an important bloc (so-called ‘BASIC’). The BASIC alliance and its role have received much attention and debate post-Copehagen COP meeting.

The way in which the BASIC alliance will develop its co-ordination and possible alignment will have considerable implications on the future of the negotiations, including the status and utility of the Copenhagen Accord, in contributing to a legally binding agreement at COP 16 in Cancun.

Based on the US-China analysis carried out during 2009, this study aims to understand the factors that drive the negotiating positions taken by the BASIC countries.

The analysis will map out each country’s respective position on the key issues of mitigation, adaptation, technology transfer and finance and provide an assessment of the potential ways in which the BASIC countries may condition the possible COP16 outcomes, with particular focus on the relations with EU, the U.S. and the future role of the G77.