Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged developed countries to match the robust commitments and efforts made by the least developed countries (LDCs) like Bangladesh to fight climate change.
Published : 23 Sep 2014, 10:41 PM
"For us, ‘adaptation’ is key. We cannot be left to adapt to ‘degradation’ because of climate change," she said.
She remarked that support to wider capacity-building, especially in technology, was equally important as she stressed on assistance from rich nations.
"For LDCs, IPR must be facilitated. What Bangladesh asks for is access to life-saving technologies and support for developing adaptive technologies."
She made the appeal at the UN Climate Summit Roundtable in New York on Tuesday.
Hasina said climate change was still affecting Bangladesh despite significant steps including ecosystem- and community-based adaptation measures taken to address it.
There were 3.2 million installed Solar Home Systems while 1.5 million Improved Cook Stoves had been provided to people, she said.
The prime minister also said Bangladesh had developed stress-tolerant crops.
She said her government was implementing the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan. "Though we are a climate-vulnerable LDC, we allocated $385 million from our resources for adaptation and mitigation."
However, she added, despite governmental efforts, results of climate change such as frequent flooding, storms, salinity intrusion and slow changes were affecting Bangladesh's coastal habitats.
Hasina continued, "Climate change may threaten our wheat and major rice crop (Boro) production. In addition, many people may have to move out, changing their traditional living and livelihoods."
She added that, according to studies, climate change could lead to 2 to 3 percent contraction in Bangladesh's GDP.
The prime minister also raised certain specific issues at the roundtable.
"We must stress that ‘adaptation’ and ‘loss and damage’ are crucial for sustainable development.
"If we are not ambitious about climate mitigation, adaptation costs will be much higher than is estimated today," Hasina warned.
Hasina to,d the gathering the balance between adaptation and mitigation must be maintained to support finance, technology development and transfer, capacity building, transparency of action and support.
According to her, ‘Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs)’ must be clear, measurable and verifiable. "Bangladesh is working on her possible INDCs. But, new and additional resources will be needed for their implementation."
She said private climate finance for Bangladesh can only be complementary to mitigation. But for adaptation planning and its implementation, adequate and predictable financing is essential, she added.
Hasina also underscored greater ‘fast-track finance’ for adaptation, particularly for climate-vulnerable countries.
"Green Climate Fund (GCF) would need to take those into account, particularly for the climate-vulnerable countries like Bangladesh. Robust and early capitalisation of GCF is crucial for us."
Carbon emission
Prime Minister Hasina stressed that the world must pay attention to ‘carbon budgeting’ and ‘de-carbonisation pathways’.
She assured that Bangladesh, as a responsible member of the international community, would never exceed the average per capita emission of the developing world.
"It is our firm commitment to low-carbon, climate-resilient development path.
"The large emitting countries should reciprocate to robust voluntary commitments from countries like ours," she said.
She ended her speech saying that Bangladesh had learned much on the adaptation front and was ready to share its modest experience on climate-resilience.
Earlier, at the opening ceremony UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told world leaders, "We are not here to talk, we are here to make history."
“The human, environmental and financial cost of climate change is fast becoming unbearable,” Ban told the opening ceremony of his much-anticipated Climate Summit in the General Assembly Hall. “We need a clear shared vision.”
Many of the more than 120 heads of states and government, business, finance and civil society representatives are expected to announce commitments that will reduce emissions, enhance resistance to climate change and mobilise financing for climate action.
“I am asking you to lead,” Ban told them. “We must cut emissions. Science says they must peak by 2020 and decline sharply thereafter. By the end of this century we must be carbon neutral.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is in the US to attend the 69th United Nations General Assembly scheduled to begin on Sept 27. She will also address the General Assembly.
Leading a 184-strong delegation, she will also meet her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi the same day on the sidelines of the UNGA.
She will spend two days in the UK before returning home on Oct 2.