As a country that contributes comparatively little to global greenhouse gas emissions yet remains highly vulnerable to climate change, Bangladesh's demands for greater climate finance, adaptation support, and accountability from major emitters are both justified and necessary.
Yet despite being among the strongest voices for climate justice on the international stage, the latest Environmental Performance Index (EPI) offers an uncomfortable reminder: Climate leadership abroad must be matched by environmental responsibility at home.
Bangladesh ranks 175th out of 177 countries in the EPI 2026, with a score of 23.46 out of 100, and a particularly poor performance in air quality and ecosystem vitality.
Our rivers continue to suffer from industrial waste, sewage, plastic, and encroachment. Wetlands are disappearing under unplanned urbanization, while Dhaka's air remains dangerously polluted by vehicle emissions, construction dust, and other sources.
These are environmental concerns that directly affect public health, livelihoods, productivity, and the quality of life of millions.
Most concerning, however, is that Bangladesh does not necessarily lack policies or laws. The greater problem is implementation. Environmental regulations mean little when industries can evade pollution controls, wetlands can be filled, rivers can be occupied, and waste can be dumped with limited consequences.
Stronger enforcement, institutional coordination, and accountability are therefore essential.
This should also be viewed as an issue of climate justice: The right to clean air, safe water, and a healthy environment cannot be separated from the climate justice Bangladesh advocates for internationally. Protecting vulnerable communities and restoring damaged ecosystems must become central to national development.
Ultimately, we should continue demanding greater responsibility from the international community, but we must also demonstrate that responsibility ourselves.
Bangladesh's credibility as a climate champion will depend not only on what it says at global conferences, but on whether its citizens can also see and breathe the difference at home.