Renewing her call for strict implementation of the Paris Agreement, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked global leaders to take stronger steps urgently to address the planetary emergency of climate change.
Sheikh Hasina also placed a six-point proposal before the global leaders as the COP-26 is just a few months away.
Addressing a closed-door leaders’ meeting arranged for a small group of heads of state and governments on Climate Change held at Trusteeship Council of the UN Headquarters on Monday.
The proposal includes strict implementation of the Paris Agreement to keep the global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius, the realization of an annual $100 billion climate fund from the developed countries, 50 percent of this fund should go to adaptation and resilience, especially to climate-vulnerable countries.
The other proposals are: Forging new financial mechanisms and transfer of green technology to the developing countries, addressing the loss-and-damage issue, and displacement of the large-scale population due to climate change and capacity building of CVF countries to tackle the double jeopardy of pandemic and disaster, particularly with the increased frequency of climate-induced disasters.
“Finally, we need a ‘whole-of-the-world’ approach to leave a sustainable future for our next generations,” she said.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and UN Secretary-General António Guterres convened the meeting.
Hasina said climate-vulnerable countries contribute the least to the global Green House Gas emissions. “Yet, they’re the worst victims of the impacts of climate change.”
She mentioned that the recent IPCC report has provided a grim picture of their future. “If the global temperature goes above 1.5 degrees Celsius, they’ll face permanent damages.
The international community has a special responsibility to support these countries in their adaptation and mitigation efforts.”
Despite being a climate-vulnerable country with resource constraints, Hasina said, Bangladesh has emerged as a global pioneer on adaptation and resilience.
Recently, she said, Bangladesh has submitted an ambitious and updated NDC to the UNFCCC.
Besides, she mentioned, it has adopted the ‘Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan’ focusing on green growth, resilient infrastructure and renewable energy. “We’re on our journey from climate vulnerability to climate resilience to climate prosperity (VRP),” she announced.
Hasina also said as the Chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) and V20, the key focus is on promoting the interests of the climate-vulnerable countries.
“We’re also sharing the best practices and adaptation knowledge with other climate-vulnerable countries through the GCA South Asia regional office in Dhaka,” she said.