Shifting war spending could create a better global environment: PM

DHAKA, April 22, 2024 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today stressed the need to spend money used in war to protect the world, and made six proposals to tackle the negative impacts of climate change to achieve a build a beautiful world for the future generation.

“I couldn’t help but say one thing: the world could be saved if the money spent on wars and buying weapons was used for (facing the consequences of) climate change,” she said.

The Prime Minister made the remarks while inaugurating a four-day UN Climate Adaptation Conference titled ‘National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Expo 2024’ and Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership (BCDP) at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC).

“We strive to build a safe and beautiful world for future generations. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to increase adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience and undertake coordinated risk reduction initiatives. —Let us work together to intensify protecting this planet,” she said.

She also said that she would like to briefly put forward a few points for consideration in order to build a wonderful world for the future generations.

In her first proposal, the Prime Minister said major CO2-emitting countries must take effective action to reduce their emissions to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

“Second, developed countries’ commitments to a $100 billion annual climate fund must be met. This fund should be equally divided between adaptation and mitigation,” she said.

Third, the Prime Minister said that developed countries must ensure efficient energy solutions and transfer of technologies to developing countries.

In her fourth proposal, she also said that during the transition to renewable energy, the development priorities of the countries involved should be taken into account based on their loss and damage.

Sheikh Hasina said fifthly that all countries must share the responsibility for the rehabilitation of people displaced by sea level rise, salinity, river erosion, floods and droughts.

“Finally, major economies must work globally with all stakeholders to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come,” she said.

The Prime Minister said Bangladesh has always cooperated with the international community to combat the effects of climate change.

Under the guidance of the Prime Minister’s Office, Bangladesh has already formed the ‘Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership (BCDP)’ with development partners, she said.

“All parties agree on this. I hope that BCDP will make significant contributions to the implementation of Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan, National Adaptation Plan, National Determined Contribution and Bangladesh Vision 2041,” she added.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh has already formulated the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) for 2022-2050 and submitted it to the UNFCCC in October 2022.

This plan has identified 113 priority programs in 8 sectors of 11 climate risk areas, she said.

“We need approximately $230 billion to implement the action plans adopted in the NAP over the next 27 years. I urge rich countries and the international community to provide dedicated funds and additional financial resources,” she said.

Minister of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Simon Stiell, Minister of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change Dr. Farhina Ahmed and UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis, among others, spoke at the function.

Sheikh Hasina said that developed countries are contributing more to global warming through huge carbon emissions.

“It is their moral responsibility to protect the people affected by climate change,” she said.

During Bangladesh’s tenure as chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), she said they repeatedly called for implementation of the pledge to provide developed countries with $100 billion per year for adaptation and mitigation activities.

“I hope that developed countries will keep their promises,” she said.

The Prime Minister also urged the international community and rich countries to continue providing financial, scientific and technical assistance to Bangladesh and other countries facing threats from the adverse effects of climate change even after graduating from the developing countries.

Under the COP-26 decision, she said developed countries should double their adaptation financing by 2025 compared to 2019.

“I urge rich countries to keep this promise,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said it should be ensured that countries that have already formulated NAPs can easily and quickly access financial support from all available sources, including the UNFCCC, to implement their NAPs.

“We are taking appropriate adaptation and mitigation actions to reduce the potential damage caused by climate change. In this case, Bangladesh will take necessary initiatives to access financing from the UNFCCC Loss and Damage Fund,” she said.

Although Bangladesh’s contribution to global CO2 emissions is less than 0.48 percent, she said the country is one of the most affected and vulnerable to its negative impacts.

“These negative impacts of climate change threaten our potential development and economic prosperity,” she said.

The Prime Minister said continued global warming is causing sea levels and temperatures to rise.

“As a result, much of southwestern Bangladesh, covering about 12 to 17% of the country’s total area, is at risk of being submerged by the end of this century,” she said.

She also said they have called on the developed world to limit global temperature rise to 1.5oC.
In 2015, she said Bangladesh formulated the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and submitted it to the UNFCCC in 2021 after updating.

“In the document we set an unconditional target of 6.73% and a conditional reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 15.12%,” the Prime Minister said.

“In Bangladesh, we have reduced the use of fossil fuels and increased the use of renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” she said.

To date, about 6 million home solar energy systems have been installed and more than 4.5 million upgraded heaters have been distributed in rural areas, she added.

In 2023, Sheikh Hasina said they had formulated the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan (MCPP), which aims to reach from vulnerability to resilience to prosperity while combating the negative impacts of climate change.

Moreover, the MCPP’s adaptation and mitigation programs have emphasized the spontaneous participation of local people and stakeholders and nature-based solutions, she said.

The Prime Minister said that following the example of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheik Mujib, they have implemented various programs using resources to combat the negative impact of climate change.

“In 2009, we used our funding to establish the ‘Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund’ to implement adaptation programmes. Under this initiative, 969 projects costing around US$500 million have been implemented,” she said.

In the fiscal year 2023-2024, she said they are implementing projects in areas of coastal dams, cyclone shelters, coastal afforestation, etc., under 25 ministries at a cost of Taka 37,000 crore.

The catastrophic cyclone and tidal wave in 1970 killed almost 500,000 people, while the 1991 cyclone in Bangladesh killed two million people, she said.

Stating that no lives have been lost due to Cyclone Mocha in 2023, she said: “This is a testament to Bangladesh’s ability to adapt to climate change and reduce disaster risk.”

She said that in the last fifteen years, they have created 89,853 hectares of coastal forest through plantations, spread over an area of ​​about 127,548 hectares of hill and salt forest.

Moreover, she said they have formulated the Social Forestry Rules 2010 (amended) involving local communities in the process.

“We have built the world’s largest shelter project, the ‘Khurushkul Special Shelter Project’, for climate refugee families in Cox’s Bazar district. Through this initiative, we aim to rehabilitate 4,409 climate refugee families by constructing 139 multi-storey buildings,” she said. .

In addition, the Prime Minister said they have provided free houses and land to climate refugees and landless people due to natural disasters, to the homeless and other socially disadvantaged communities, and provided them with education, healthcare and employment.

“So far we have rehabilitated about 42 million people,” she added.

An initiative to share best practices has been undertaken through the Global Center on Adaptation’s South Asia regional office in Dhaka, the Prime Minister continued.