Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that a strong global climate alliance is urgently needed to save future generations and the planet from the adverse effects of climate change by reducing carbon emissions.
I would like to emphasize the importance of a positive and strong international climate alliance to move towards carbon balance by effectively reducing global carbon emissions before the middle of the century, she said.
This was stated in a pre-recorded speech by the Prime Minister at the Virtual Summit of the Thimphu Ambition Summit on Wednesday (December 9) aimed at accelerating the pace of globalization by 1.5 degrees Celsius on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the Paris Agreement.
Among others, the Prime Minister of Bhutan Lotte Schering, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and COP 28 Chair Alok Sharma and UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa addressed the virtual summit hosted by the Royal Government of Bhutan at the UNFCCC.
Noting that the adverse effects of climate change have displaced millions of people, the Prime Minister said, I urge you to take urgent and decisive action to save future generations." The UNFCCC is the most appropriate platform to advance our global agenda.
In this context, Sheikh Hasina said, Covid-19 pandemic has shown us how quickly an epidemic can turn into a catastrophic global crisis and it has taught us that strong joint efforts are the only way to deal with the global crisis.
The Prime Minister noted that the Paris Agreement reaffirmed the obligations of developed countries for climate finance. MDBS, IFIS should step up its efforts to strengthen climate finance through concessional funding and tax exemptions and ensure access to technology for all, she said, adding that extreme weather events were already displacing far more people than violent conflict.
She said that is why the provision of 'loss and damage' should be brought into the mainstream. The Prime Minister said world leaders had agreed on a landmark agreement on tackling climate change and achieving climate tolerance during the COP-21 in Paris. Noting that the goal was to keep global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius, she said, "But we must acknowledge that our current efforts to achieve this goal are extremely inadequate."
Therefore, we need a strong, dynamic and immediate action plan to limit global greenhouse gas emissions to save ourselves and our planet, she said.
Describing South Asia as the most vulnerable region for climate-related natural disasters, the Prime Minister said, If the sea level rises by one meter, millions of people on the coastal and small islands will become climate refugees. , Nepal and various parts of India will have a catastrophic impact on the countries bordering the Himalayas.
She said Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries due to its limited ability to cope and specific geographical features, even if it does not contribute to global warming.
According to the ADB forecast, if current emissions continue, Bangladesh could face an annual economic loss equivalent to 2% of its GDP by 2020 and up to 9.4% by 2100, she said, adding, I am sure that other LDCs and climates are at risk. The same is true for countries. The Prime Minister, however, said that they have taken excellent adaptation and mitigation measures to enhance climate tolerance in Bangladesh.
She said, this year we are planting 11.5 million trees across the country on the occasion of 'Mujib Year', the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. We have also launched the ‘Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan’ with the aim of mobilizing resources for a secure future. She happily mentioned that Bangladesh has the honor of being elected to lead the Climate Damage Forum for the second term.
She said, We have set up a regional office of the Global Center for Adaptation for South Asia in Dhaka. She added that CVF has launched the 'Midnight Survival for Climate' initiative to provide new and expanded NDCs to all countries by midnight on December 31, 2020.