PM urges on united efforts to face climatic change
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today called upon the international community to adopt a time-befitting climate action plan and implement all provisions of Paris Agreement and other relevant global instruments and mechanisms to stop further degradation of environment.
Any consequence of failure to deliver a climate action plan must fall equally on every country, especially on the countries which are more responsible for contributing to climate change, and the cost of our inaction is devastating for every living person, she told the general roundtable at the Conference of the Parties (COP25), the UN Climate Change Conference.
To stop further degradation of environment, we must implement all provisions of Paris Agreement and other relevant global instruments and mechanisms, she added.
Sheikh Hasina added it is the responsibility of the leaders and the politicians to make public aware of the critical situation and the actions required to stop it from developing.
The COP25 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change kicked off at Feria de Madrid, the largest exhibition complex in Spain and one of the most important venues in Europe, here on Monday Morning (Dec.2).
Sheikh Hasina said the Convention and the Paris Agreement recognized the special circumstance and needs of LDCs and ‘Particularly Vulnerable Countries’ based on the principle of the ‘common but differentiated responsibility’, and this recognition must be adhered to in every delivery mechanism of the climate finance.
We hope that finalization of robust rules under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement must continue environmental integrity, avoid double counting and other accounting loopholes, deliver a share of proceeds from the market mechanism for the Adaptation Fund to assist overall mitigation in global emission, she said.
Sheikh Hasina said impacts of climate change are harming the civilization and destroying the planet and it has now become an existential threat for climate vulnerable countries like Bangladesh. We are at the most important crossroad of human history facing the gravest global challenges of our time, she said.
The Prime Minister said the globe is fighting the battle on two fronts. First, mitigation measures to reduce and eventually reach zero emission in future. Second, adaptation measures in areas where irreparable damage has been done, she said.
Sheikh Hasina said the 5th Assessment Report (AR5) of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) clearly states that adverse impacts of climate change will continue to intensify over the current century and push us off the cliff unless we come up with drastic actions to reduce or stop carbon emission. And if the IPCC 1.5 degree centigrade Report was bad enough, the recent WMO Statement on State of Global Climate 2018 shows that we are even worse off than what was originally thought, she said.
Pointing out that time is ticking fast to the point of no return, the premier said the world urgently needs to limit temperature increase to 1.5oC and avoid the worst impacts of climate change, by cutting 45 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
Bangladesh, the largest delta in the world, is the worst affected country if we consider its small size and the huge population to be affected by adverse impacts of climate change. Up to 2050 from now, our annual GDP loss will be 2% and at this rate by 2100, the loss will be a staggering 9%, she said.
Domestically, we are the first LDC to establish a Climate Change Trust Fund. We have so far spent more than $415 million from our own resources for mitigation and adaptation purposes. We are set to spend as much as $10 billion to make the country less vulnerable to natural disasters, she said.
Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh Parliament has recently adopted a motion declaring the current state of climate vulnerability as a planetary emergency calling all other Parliaments to act to adopt necessary measures to reduce global warming.
Mentioning that in 2016, displacement due to climate change was more than 3 times of the displacement due to conflict, she said Bangladesh has a similar situation with the Rohingyas from Myanmar.
Sheikh Hasina said the presence of 1.1 million Rohingyas has caused an environmental and social havoc in an environmentally critical area, Cox’s Bazar, with loss of forest, hills, biodiversity and local livelihood.
Prime Minister said CVF and V-20 South-South and Triangle Cooperation is the best example, we want to make this success more flourished. We are looking towards Netherlands climatic conference to be held 2020 to make our experience more enriched.
Sheikh Hasina said that if the members agree then Bangladesh is ready to be the president of the Forum.
The conference was also addressed among others by UN Secretary Genearl Antanio Guteres, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Costa Rica president Carlos Alvardo, Marshall Island president Hilda Haine, UNFCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espaniso and UN Human Rights High Commissioner Mitchel Batchlet Zeria.