India’s stand on providing incentives and subsidies to domestic manufacturers of solar cells and panels, which has been challenged by the US at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), has received support from China.

Xie Zhenhua, Special Representative for Climate Change of China, who was in India for the 22{+n}{+d} BASIC Ministerial Meeting, said his country supports India’s decision to provide subsidies or incentives to solar goods manufacturers since most countries were providing incentives in the renewable energy space.

The US had challenged the domestic content requirement under the country’s national solar programme at the World Trade Organisation India’s stand every at the WTO, claiming it violated global trading rules. WTO, in fact, recently ruled against India.

Prakash Javadekar, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, said that the ruling was unfortunate since under the country’s renewable energy target, the requirement for domestic procurement was small. “The concerned Ministry is going to appeal (the ruling),” he said.

The BASIC countries (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) concluded their 22{+n}{+d} meeting in New Delhi on Thursday, the first since the United Nation’s Paris agreement to combat climate change. On April 22, these countries, along with 100 others, are expected to sign and ratify the climate agreement reached in December 2015.

Besides, Javadekar and Zhenhua, the meeting was also attended by Ambassador Antonio Marcondes, Under Secretary-General for the Environment, Energy, Science and Technology, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil; Maesela Kekana, Chief Director International Climate Change Relations and Negotiations of South Africa.

While the leaders unanimously praised the equitable nature of the Paris deal, they also reiterated and reminded the developed countries about their commitment to provide the developing nations with $100 billion climate fund annually by 2020.

In a joint statement, the leaders said, “Minister reiterated the importance of pre-2020 action in building trust among Parties and noted with concern the pending ratification by many Annex I Parties of the Doha Amendment, which established the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. They urged Annex I Parties to both ratify and revisit pledges of Quantified Emission Limitation and Reduction Objectives to close the emission gap.”

The leaders also expressed concerns over draft proposal on market based measures under the International Civil Aviation Organisation and said the proposed moves stood contrary to the principles of common but differentiated responsibilities as recognised under the Paris pact. “(It) may impose inappropriate economic burden on developing countries, where the international aviation market is still maturing,” the statement said.

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