Staff Correspondent 

Bangladesh is set to receive $30 million from the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) to strengthen climate resilience and expand climate-smart agriculture in its coastal regions, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo said on Friday. 

Bangladesh is one of five countries initially shortlisted for the financing, the minister said at a press briefing held by the Bangladesh delegation at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Turkey.

The briefing took place at 3:00pm local time in Press Conference Room-1, Zone D-3 of the Blue Zone, jointly organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Sheikh Faridul Islam, Member of Parliament Mansura Akhter, and Additional Secretary Mohammad Navid Safiullah were also present at the briefing.

Highlighting the disproportionate impact of climate change, Mintoo noted that Bangladesh contributes less than 0.5 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions yet remains one of the most climate-vulnerable nations.

"Cyclones, floods, rising salinity, and heatwaves are threatening lives, livelihoods, agriculture, infrastructure, and our development gains," he said, citing updated World Meteorological Organization (WMO) data showing that global average temperatures between January and September 2026 were approximately 1.47 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Despite resource constraints, Bangladesh has adopted ambitious climate targets under its third Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0), aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6.39 percent unconditionally and an additional 13.92 percent conditionally by 2035, compared to business-as-usual levels.

To achieve this, the government is expanding renewable energy, rooftop solar power, afforestation, canal restoration, early warning systems, and locally led adaptation initiatives.

Stressing the urgency of climate finance, the minister urged developed nations to fulfill their funding commitments. He voiced Bangladesh’s strong support for the Least Developed Countries (LDC) Group’s demand to triple adaptation finance to $120 billion annually before 2035.

He also called for simplifying access procedures and increasing direct, grant-based financing for vulnerable countries from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the Adaptation Fund.

Mintoo emphasised moving adaptation efforts from paper to practice by accelerating the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and operationalising the Belém Adaptation Indicators and the Belém–Addis Vision, backed by international finance, technology transfer, and capacity building.

On loss and damage, the minister stated that climate-induced destruction is no longer a future threat but a present reality. Pointing out that current funds under the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage fall far short of submitted project proposals, he demanded increased contributions from developed nations, faster disbursement, and support for both economic and non-economic losses.

Reiterating commitment to the 1.5°C warming limit, Mintoo said Bangladesh favours extending the mitigation work programme beyond 2026 through 2030, supported by adequate finance and technology for developing nations.

He also underscored the need for a "just transition" to a green economy that safeguards workers, farmers, women, youth, and informal sector labourers through decent job creation, skills development, social protection, and access to clean technology.

Addressing the state of negotiations at COP31, Mintoo said that while progress has been made across several key areas during the first four days, final consensus remains pending on several critical issues. Bangladesh is coordinating closely with the LDC Group, G77 and China, and other partner nations to secure an ambitious, fair, and balanced outcome.

Earlier in the briefing, the minister thanked the government and people of Turkey for hosting COP31 and commended the conference presidency and Australia, which is serving as president of the negotiation process.