Bangladesh urges predictable global financing to confront climate crisis

Bangla Press Desk:   Bangladesh has called on the international community to ensure predictable and adequate financing to help vulnerable nations tackle the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.

The appeal was made by Farhina Ahmed, secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, while delivering Bangladesh’s national statement at the plenary of the 7th Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) in Nairobi on Wednesday (10 Dec).

Md Ziaul Haque, additional director general of the Department of Environment, attended as part of the Bangladesh delegation, said a press release.

Farhina warned that developing countries are increasingly forced to divert limited resources from essential sectors to address climate-induced disasters.

“In the absence of support, governments are compelled to withdraw funds from health, education and social protection to respond to crises—jeopardizing the future of generations to come,” she said.

She urged UNEA-7 to help mobilise financing through multilateral environmental agreements in a coordinated and synergistic manner.

Underscoring the urgency of the global environmental emergency, she said climate change is “a daily reality” for Bangladesh, where extreme heat, cyclones, flooding, sea-level rise and riverbank erosion continue to displace communities and damage critical ecosystems.

Despite contributing less than 0.5% of global emissions, Bangladesh continues to show climate leadership, she noted.

The country’s updated NDC 3.0, submitted within the global deadline, targets generating 25% of electricity from renewable sources by 2035—five times higher than current levels.

Bangladesh is also advancing implementation of its National Adaptation Plan (NAP 2023) and scaling up locally led adaptation in climate-vulnerable regions.

Addressing biodiversity loss, Farhina highlighted the pressure on natural resources in a densely populated country of 180 million people.

Bangladesh, she said, is implementing a range of strategies and plans, including the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2026–30), the National Conservation Strategy, the Ramsar Strategic Plan (2026–30), Land Degradation Neutrality targets for 2030, and policies on environment, forests and biosafety.

On pollution, she emphasised Bangladesh’s pioneering steps, noting that it was the first country to ban thin plastic bags.

Since then, separate regulations have been introduced for solid waste, e-waste, medical waste, hazardous waste and ship-breaking waste management.

The government has finalised Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) directives on plastic waste and imposed restrictions on selected single-use plastics.

A draft Chemical Waste Management Rules has also been prepared.

Farhina called on UNEA-7 to adopt an integrated lifecycle approach to managing chemicals and plastics, prioritising prevention, safer alternatives and circularity, while ensuring the safety and rights of informal workers.

BP/SP