"Government must ensure optimal utilization of the climate budget: Rizwana"

 

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, the Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Adviser, emphasized the government's commitment to ensuring the effective use of the climate budget. She made this statement during her address at the seminar titled "Global Climate Negotiation Challenges and Priorities for Bangladesh," organized by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) at its auditorium.

Rizwana discussed several key issues related to climate governance and outlined Bangladesh's priorities in this regard. She mentioned that the guidelines for the allocation of the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF) have been updated, ensuring a more cautious and strategic distribution of funds.

The adviser underscored the importance of utilizing international climate funds effectively to achieve meaningful outcomes and highlighted ongoing efforts to identify priority sectors for climate investments. However, she warned that without a significant reduction in carbon emissions, global environmental damage cannot be mitigated, no matter how much funding is allocated.

Rizwana also pointed out the various initiatives being undertaken to address Bangladesh’s environmental challenges. She stressed the need to rethink development strategies, noting that if rivers and canals are filled up, adaptation efforts will fail. She advocated for abandoning a consumerist lifestyle as part of the solution.

On the issue of air pollution, Rizwana shared that a task force has been established to tackle the problem, and its activities will begin soon. She also mentioned that measures are being taken against polluters, with efforts to discourage the use of single-use plastics.

The adviser called for a stronger focus on enhancing resilience, securing adequate adaptation funding, and ensuring transparency in fulfilling global commitments. She emphasized the importance of equitable negotiations at global forums to amplify the voices of vulnerable communities and ensure that developed nations meet their financial and technological commitments.

The seminar also featured remarks by BIISS Ambassador AFM Gousal Azam Sarker and BIISS Director General Major General Iftekhar Anis. Several PowerPoint presentations were made during the event, covering topics such as the geopolitics of climate negotiation, global climate finance negotiations, loss and damage, and climate diplomacy.

The seminar brought together policymakers, researchers, climate experts, and diplomats to discuss pressing issues, including the inadequacy of climate finance, slow progress on loss and damage mechanisms, and the need for stronger mitigation targets from major emitters.