Bangladesh’s successful climate diplomacy

At the press conference in Ganabhaban following her 14-day official visit to the United Kingdom and France, Prime Minister made some pertinent observations regarding the outcomes of the just concluded COP26. She pointed out that the developed countries reneged on their promises made in Paris Agreement 2015. At the Paris climate conference (COP21) in December 2015 developed countries committed to provide $100 billion per year to climate vulnerable countries as support for mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change. As the prime minister stated at the press conference industrialised countries failed to keep their commitment. But she cut them some slack saying that the devastating economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic might have played a role in this connection.

However, Sheikh Hasina categorically stated that the COP26 was not a total failure by any means. She said “Although we, the climate vulnerable countries, did not get what we expected, the UN Climate Change Conference delivered many positive things.” Especially, Bangladesh was an active participant at COP26 as indeed it has been at all international climate conferences and the Earth Summits. The prime minister mentioned that “I believe that the Dhaka-Glasgow Declaration, adopted by the heads of the government and state of the 48 most climate vulnerable countries and led by Bangladesh in the just-concluded COP26 Summit, was an outcome of the leading role played by our country in climate diplomacy.” As the incumbent Chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), an organisation of 48 countries, her participation in the COP26 was indeed very important for protecting the interests of Bangladesh and CVF member countries.

Bangladesh has long been bracing for long-term consequences of the erratic global climate. Global warming-spurred rise in the sea level keep haunting large tracts of coastal land in the country's south. According to observers monitoring the vulnerability and the future plight of the people living in the Bangladesh coastal belt, the process of sea-level rise in the country's long coast is set to begin soon --- ironically, for no fault of theirs. The prime minister stressed this aspect saying that Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is not a polluter country, but one of the worst victims of climate change. Bangladesh is often often referred to as the ‘ground zero’ of natural catastrophes and, climate change is a survival battle braved by millions of Bangladeshis whose homes, lands and crops are lost to the recurring wrath of nature. In her article headlined “Forging Dhaka-Glasgow CVF-COP26 Solidarity” written in famous Diplomat magazine this April, each year two per cent of a country’s GDP is lost to extreme climate events, adding that by the turn of the century, it will be nine per cent.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has emerged as a statesmanlike figure in fight against the adverse impacts of climate change over the years. At the COP26 her positive and optimistic attitude shone through and she was obviously one most admired and respected figures there. Indeed, BBC in a recent report selected her as one of the five best deal-makers of COP26. Displaying her bright outlook, she said that the global leaders’ consensus over the mitigation and adaptation of climate change effects was a significant achievement in the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Glasgow, Scotland. Pointing out another positive to come out of COP26 she said that a total of 141 countries, including Bangladesh, pledged to check all kinds of deforestation by 2030. According to the prime minister another major feature of the COP26 is that heads of the state and government of the world agreed to further accelerate the climate funding process.

Sheikh Hasina informed the conference about Bangladesh's closure of 10 plants run on coal, believe to be the worst fossil fuel. Bangladesh, under the astute leadership of the prime minister has displayed unwavering resolve to make the Earth a more livable place for the future generations. Bangladesh already has an action plan for reducing vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters, but obviously there is a need for international cooperation. The political commitment by government in this regard is beyond any doubt.