Bangladesh parliament passes ‘planetary emergency’ motion for quick climate steps

Parliament has passed a motion declaring a “planetary emergency” and calling for quick action by the international community, including the United Nations, to tackle the effects of climate change.

Placing the motion on Wednesday, ruling Awami League MP Saber Hossain Chowdhury said Bangladesh was among the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change,

The developed nations are not delivering on their promises to prevent the calamity and compensate those affected despite causing climate change, said Saber, who chairs the parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

He urged lawmakers to declare a “planetary emergency” on account of existential crisis of climate change, impact of disasters and increase in extreme weather events, irreparable loss of bio-diversity, looming food insecurity, rising water stress, unprecedented pressure on oceans and unsustainable use of resources.

The global community must act urgently, decisively and with considerably higher ambition in achieving net zero carbon emissions well before 2050, capping temperature rise to 1.5 degree Celsius and transitioning swiftly to low carbon economies as overarching priorities, Saber said.

All the MPs said “yes” when Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury put the motion to voice vote.

In the discussion on the motion, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin said Bangladesh raised a $38 billion fund on its own to tackle the adverse effects of climate change and took 718 projects with the fund.