Staff Correspondent

Environment minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury on Monday said that Bangladesh, under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has pledged to be a partner in creating a world resilient against climate change impact for the present and future generations.

At the international stage, Sheikh Hasina has been a powerful and respectable voice for the most climate-vulnerable countries, and has been resolutely advocating for increasing adaptation funds, which is yet to be delivered even at its current lower-than-expected declared level despite repeated pledges, Saber said.

The Bangladesh PM has also put emphasis on keeping global average temperature increases below 1.5 degrees Celsius, called for the establishment of the Loss and Damage fund, and urged the transfer of much-needed climate-related technologies and other means of adaptation to backward countries by developed countries, Saber added.

The environment minister made the comments on the inaugural day of NAP Expo 2024 at Bangabandhu International Conference Center in the capital. The ninth edition of the expo is being organised by the Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG) in collaboration with the environment ministry under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

It will continue till 25 April with the participation of 114 countries with a view to promoting sharing of insights on climate adaptation strategies from around the world. At the event, Bangladesh government aims to highlight the nation's achievements in addressing climate change impacts.

Minister Saber said Bangladesh’s remarkable economic progress has been achieved despite the manifold impacts of climate change: the ever-increasing number of displaced climate refugees, intensity and frequency of natural hazards like floods and droughts, food insecurity, biodiversity loss, water scarcity and salinity intrusion among others.

Rising sea levels to the south as well as increased glacial melt in the Hindu Kush and Himalayas to the north have compounded the impact of climate change.

Despite the enormity of the challenges, Bangladesh under the wise and inspiring leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sees itself not just as a victim of climate change, which it most certainly is, but also as a leader and champion when it comes to finding solutions and doing innovations, Saber said.

He said, in the current financial year, Bangladesh has allocated almost $3.5 billion through 25 ministries to respond to the impacts of climate change. A $230 billion National Adaptation Plan for the period till 2050 has also been formulated.

“The comprehensive plan encompasses 113 interventions across 8 thematic sectors at 11 vulnerable areas. The Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF), a first of its kind in the world was set up from the country’s resources in 2009,” he said.

Saber further informed the audience that Bangladesh national parliament is the first legislature in the world to adopt a motion on Planetary Emergency. “We have mainstreamed green and climate-resilient development works in our central planning processes. [Furthermore] Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan, which envisages an aspirational pathway from vulnerability to resilience to prosperity, is being implemented.”

Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership (BCDP) – a global first that brings together all the development partners, private sector, NGO and all stakeholders, including youth and women under one platform ­– would be formed to ensure effective climate action and significantly scale up funding for Bangladesh led climate initiatives, said the minister.

He noted the global community has not delivered on the 100-billion-dollar pledge and neither has adaptation funding been appropriately balanced nor allocated.

An agreed definition of climate finance must also be a definitive outcome of COP29 which will have a focus on finance including the New Collective Quantified Goals considering the increasing needs of climate vulnerable countries, small island developing states and of course the LDCs, said the minister.

“The problem of climate change cannot be solved by growing the problem further. If we are to keep 1.5 degrees Celsius goal alive, we have to ensure emissions peak by next year and are reduced by half within 2030 by which time renewable energy roll-out has to triple and energy efficiency has to double. Only then will we have a realistic pathway to achieving net zero by 2050. In this context and at the end of the day, mitigation is the best form of adaptation.”

UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell and Bangladesh environment ministry Secretary Dr Farhina Ahmed also spoke on the occasion.