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A high consumer demand has made it difficult for authorities to control the use of harmful plastics, Dr Farhina Ahmed, secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), said on Sunday.
She made the remarks while presiding over the 4th Sustainability and Green Growth Working Committee (SGGWC) at the MOEFCC conference room on the day, according to a press statement.
The MOEFCC Secretary put emphasis on controlling the use of plastics in packaging, consumer goods and textiles, and in other sectors.
She said, “We need biobased and biodegradable packaging solutions as alternatives to control the use of conventional plastics.
“We encourage the private sector to operate their businesses without impacting the environment and biodiversity at any costs. Environmental responsibilities come ahead of business.”
She continued, “We are addressing global concerns but first we need to prioritise our local concerns. Local incentivisation is more important than global incentivisation.”
Referring to water scarcity in the coastal area, she cited examples on how people in coastal regions are facing environmental challenges.
“We cannot jump into de-carbonisation in one go. We need to take rational steps as we are currently in a transition period and our main agenda is to boost the economy. Once we have graduated (from the status of LDC), we can consider it,” she said.
The secretary also said, “We can work to improve the understanding of the private sector around these materials and clarify how we can develop green industries to ensure genuine environmental benefits.”
Also speaking at the meeting, BUILD CEO Ferdaus Ara Begum highlighted the progress achieved in implementation of decisions of the Sustainability and Green Growth Working Committee.
She also informed about the formation of two committees on circular economy and recycling and green growth.
