FE REPORT
With the COP30 climate summit set to take place in Belém, Brazil next month, Bangladesh has called for urgent preparation and a stronger, unified negotiation strategy to secure fair global commitments on climate finance, renewable energy, and Loss and Damage support.
Speakers at the opening session of a four-day international conference titled "A World Beyond Crisis: Climate Solutions That Work", organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), stressed the need for both global and domestic fund mobilisation to deal with the impacts of climate change.
The event was held at an NGO auditorium in Dhaka.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, under the interim government, said that global carbon emissions were still rising, reaching a record high in 2024 despite some progress in climate action.
"If this continues, big polluters will keep emitting more while providing us with technology to reduce emissions-which alone will not help much," she added.
The session was chaired by CPD Trustee Board Member Ms Khushi Kabir, while Senior Research Associate Mr Foqoruddin Al Kabir presented the keynote paper. The paper noted that Bangladesh lost about $1.0 billion every year due to tropical cyclones, and warned that one-third of the country's agricultural GDP could be lost by 2050 because of climate change and extreme weather.
It said although Bangladesh contributes only 0.3-0.4 per cent of global CO2 emissions and 0.51 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions, it is still among the world's 10 most climate-affected nations. Rising sea levels, salinity, heat stress, and frequent flooding threaten lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems-making Bangladesh a "ground zero" for the global climate crisis.
In 2022, Bangladesh emitted 224.35 million tonnes of greenhouse gases, representing 0.51 per cent of global emissions.
However, its carbon intensity (emission per unit of GDP) dropped to 833 in 2022, down from 1,031 in 2015 and 1,290 in 2010, showing progress in energy efficiency.
According to the United Nations Global Policy Model (UNGPM), developing countries will need about $1.1 trillion annually in climate finance from 2025, increasing to $ 1.8 trillion by 2030.
At COP29, countries agreed to mobilise $300 billion annually by 2035 under the new Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG), replacing the earlier $100 billion target ending in 2025.
For Bangladesh, the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) will require $230 billion between 2023 and 2050, while achieving the NDC 3.0 goals by 2035 will need another $116.18 billion.
Ulrich Kleppmann, head of German Development Cooperation at the Embassy of Germany, said his country contributes only 2.0 per cent of global carbon emissions but provides 14 per cent of global climate finance under the $100 billion commitment.
Ms Mousumi Perven, senior climate change officer at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), said Bangladesh currently manages about$3.0 billion annually for climate adaptation, though it needs $5.0 billion.
Md Ziaul Haque, director at the Department of Environment, said Bangladesh has prepared a time-bound plan to access Loss and Damage funds.
Dr Shah Abdul Saadi, deputy secretary at the Economic Relations Division (ERD), said the Loss and Damage fund now stands at $731 million and called for the inclusion of an "immediate disbursement" clause.
He noted that concessional loans could be taken but should align with the principles of a Just Transition. He added that Bangladesh has so far received $244 million in grants and $200 million in loans from the global climate fund.
Other speakers included Ms Shirin Sultana Lira, programme manager at the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh; Md Shamsuddoha, chief executive of the Center for Participatory Research and Development (CPRD); Mohammed Sohel, director of BGMEA; Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Distinguished Fellow at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW); and Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, executive director of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).
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