State Minister for the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shaikh Faridul Islam has called for an evidence-based, realistic and long-term energy plan to ensure low-carbon and climate-resilient development in Bangladesh.
The minister made the call as the chief guest at the “University Dialogue on People-Led LT-LEDS: Bangladesh’s Low-Carbon Future” held Tuesday at the Rise Auditorium of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).
In his speech, Shaikh Faridul Islam said LT-LEDS should not be kept as another climate document.
“It should be a long-term national development roadmap that will determine what kind of economy Bangladesh wants to build, what kind of energy system will support that economy, where investment is needed, how workers and young people should be prepared, and how natural systems can be protected while improving people’s quality of life,” he said.
As a special guest, Kazi Rawnaqul Islam, managing director of the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust (BCCT), said climate finance is public money.
“This money has been entrusted to them to fulfil the responsibility of protecting people and the environment, so every amount of money must deliver visible, measurable and long-lasting benefits,” he said.
Elisa Benistant Fremigacci, technical officer-just transitions at the International Labour Organization (ILO) Country Office for Bangladesh, and Dr Md Ali Ahammad Shoukat Choudhury, director of the Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development (IESD), BUET, also spoke as special guests.
Amanullah Parag, executive director of Youth for NDCs, also spoke at the event.
The dialogue was organized by Youth for NDCs under the theme “Energy System and Power Planning for Bangladesh’s LT-LEDS.” BUET, the Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development (IESD), BUET, and the German Embassy in Dhaka supported the event.
