WEF president highlights Bangladesh’s climate drive in meeting with Tarique in China

The World Economic Forum head says Bangladesh’s climate resilience and sustainable development efforts could attract global financiers and investors

World Economic Forum (WEF) President Alois Zwinggi has paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in China’s Dalian.

According to state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), the meeting took place at the Dalian International Conference Centre in China on Tuesday afternoon.

Zwinggi, also the WEF chief executive officer, congratulated Tarique on assuming office as prime minister.

Tarique praised the WEF’s initiatives to address climate change and urged the organisation to take coordinated steps to support delta nations such as Bangladesh and other countries vulnerable to rising sea levels.

The prime minister said Bangladesh had launched an initiative to plant 250 million trees over the next five years.

He also highlighted efforts to restore water flow, reduce flood risks and protect the environment through the dredging and rehabilitation of nearly 20,000km of rivers and canals.

He said Bangladesh had introduced tax incentives for solar power generation as part of efforts to promote renewable energy and had set a target of meeting 20 percent of its electricity demand from renewable sources by 2030.

Zwinggi expressed interest in drawing on Tarique’s experience and initiatives in tackling climate change at the global level.

The WEF chief said Bangladesh’s climate resilience and sustainable development initiatives would generate interest among international financial institutions and investors.

He also invited the prime minister to attend the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.