With high hopes after the previous edition's unfulfilled promises and a flurry of renewed plans as always, the curtains of this year's UN global summit on climate change will be raised on Sunday in Egypt's resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Diplomats from nearly 200 countries gathering in the Red Sea resort for the November 6-18 conference are tasked with greening the global economy and helping poor, climate-vulnerable nations who have barely contributed to the problem cope with evermore deadly storms, heatwaves, droughts and floods.
Last year's conference saw a flurry of sideline commitments to slash greenhouse gas emissions, but left developing countries deeply frustrated over funding limitations.
A group of UN-appointed experts has expressed concern that the environment in Egypt will not be conducive to full and open participation.
Bangladesh will call on governments to establish a loss-and-damage fund for developing countries and implement climate financing pledges during the upcoming summit, well known as COP27.
The country will also reiterate its call for a materialisation of the pledge of providing $100 billion funds annually to developing countries at the earliest, officials involved in the process have said.
Bangladesh hopes that a global goal or target will be set at COP-28 for adaptation in light of the decisions taken under the Paris Agreement.
Heads of states and governments will attend the Sharm el-Sheikh Climate Implementation Summit on November 7 and 8, while a high-level segment primarily attended by ministers will take place from November 15-18.
The annual conference aims to build on previous successes and pave the way for further action to effectively tackle the global challenge of climate change.
More than 45,000 registered COP27 participants representing the UN and regional organizations, businesses, the scientific community, indigenous and local communities, and civil society are expected to join and jointly enhance and accelerate the implementation of climate action and follow up on our collective commitments and pledges.
“We will push for matters relating to funding arrangements for addressing losses and damage. We are aware that the loss and damage agenda item is very important for a country like ours. However, there is no specific financing system for this loss and damage,” said Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin.
Bangladesh will try to establish a separate fund for loss and damage through negotiations, he told Dhaka Tribune.
The country will also push on matters relating to the work program for urgently scaling up mitigation actions.
The UN's climate chief said Friday that the summit must mark a leap from the long process of hammering out a treaty to ensuring that its goals are met.
"This COP needs to demonstrate that there is a distinct shift from negotiations to implementation," said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell.
"Paris told us what needs to be done, and Glasgow defined how we need to do it," he said.
This year has seen a proliferation of extreme weather around the world. Just in the last few weeks, massive flooding left millions displaced in Nigeria and a third of Pakistan under water, and Hurricane Lisa has this week battered Belize.
The US and the European Union -- fearful of creating an open-ended reparations framework -- have dragged their feet and challenged the need for a separate funding stream.
Until recently, they were reluctant to even allow the issue onto the formal COP agenda.
But Stiell said he was optimistic this first step would be taken, probably Monday.
The Egyptian government has set up a specific venue for climate protests — except no one is quite sure where it is. Notifications are required 36 hours in advance.
Egypt's Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment. In past statements, officials have pledged to allow protest and participation from activists.
Egyptian security forces have arrested nearly 70 people in connection with calls for protests to coincide with the summit, a rights group said on November 1.
Greta Thunberg, a youth leader of the protest movement, previously said she would not attend.