Bangladesh’s position at the upcoming United Nations climate conference will depend on coordinated efforts across government, the private sector and civil society, alongside demands for developed countries to provide climate finance through grants rather than loans.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam stressed the need for collective action to strengthen the country’s negotiating position and urged developed nations to fulfil their climate finance commitments without adding to the debt burden of vulnerable countries.
She made the remarks as the chief guest at a national dialogue titled “People-Led Policy: Bangladesh Position at COP31” at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka on Saturday.
Organized jointly by 33 national and international organizations working on climate change in Bangladesh, the dialogue presented key demands and recommendations from a civil society position paper ahead of the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31).
Shama Obaed said Bangladesh needed to assess progress in implementing climate commitments a decade after the Paris Agreement, stressing that climate-vulnerable countries required adequate financial support to address the impacts of global warming.
She called for equal attention to adaptation and mitigation, greater transparency in international climate negotiations and stronger coordination among stakeholders to bridge the gap between Bangladesh’s expectations and negotiating outcomes.
The state minister said initiatives were underway to strengthen coordination between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. She also expressed interest in involving young climate advocates in the process.
Highlighting opportunities to promote sustainable products, she said Bangladesh planned to showcase environmentally friendly jute products at COP31 through a dedicated Jute Pavilion. The initiative could help expand international markets and improve the livelihoods of rural farmers.
Mirza Shawkat Ali, director of Climate Change and International Convention at the Department of Environment, attended the dialogue as a special guest.
He said initiatives were being taken to reduce industrial emissions, adding that credible evidence and specific action plans were essential to presenting Bangladesh’s demands effectively in international negotiations.
In his welcome address, Dr S M Munjurul Hannan Khan, executive director of Nature Conservation Management (NACOM), stressed the need for coordinated planning on climate finance, the blue economy, waste management and urban heat stress.
Farah Kabir, country director of ActionAid Bangladesh and moderator of the dialogue, called for collective efforts to secure grant-based climate finance.
She said Bangladesh was among the countries disproportionately affected by climate change and that international support should not deepen the debt burden of vulnerable countries and communities.
Presentations at the dialogue outlined Bangladesh’s climate financing requirements and the challenges of implementing its climate commitments.
According to figures presented at the event, Bangladesh’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) targets a 20.31% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, equivalent to 84.97 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
Implementation of the plan for 2026-2035 is estimated to require $116.18 billion, including $90.23 billion in international support.
Meanwhile, the National Adaptation Plan for 2023-2050 identifies 113 initiatives requiring approximately $230 billion.
Roufa Khanum of the Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3ER) presented figures on global emissions and Bangladesh’s climate risks.
Professor Dr Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, chairman of the Centre for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS), highlighted the need for improved waste management and measures to curb air pollution and industrial emissions.
Mahzabeen Mahfuz of ActionAid Bangladesh discussed a just energy transition, while Chowdhury Abrar Zahin and Helena Khatun addressed marine resources and international finance.
Youth representatives presented 6 demands covering climate finance, education, employment, gender justice and meaningful participation in decision-making.
The discussion emphasized that climate finance must reach affected communities and that people displaced by climate change should receive adequate resettlement support.
Participants also called for the meaningful involvement of women, persons with disabilities, young people and other marginalized groups in climate policymaking and national delegations.
The civil society position paper outlined several priorities for Bangladesh at COP31, including securing debt-free, grant-based international climate finance to implement NDC 3.0 and strengthening coordination among the government, civil society, young people and the private sector.
It also called for promoting green innovation and environmentally friendly domestic products, reducing industrial emissions and ensuring a just energy transition that protects workers.
Other priorities include securing financing for safe housing for climate migrants, improving urban waste management and addressing extreme heat in cities.
The recommendations underscore the need for Bangladesh to pursue a unified negotiating position combining climate finance demands with stronger adaptation measures, environmental protection and the rights of communities most affected by climate change.