Bangladesh Allocates US$ 480Mn to Address Climate Change

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin said Bangladesh has so far allocated US$ 480 million through Bangladesh Climate Change Trust (BCCT) to cope with climate change impacts.

 "We have allocated 480 million dollars to the BCCT fund from our own resources," he said as Pakistan High Commissioner to Dhaka Imran Ahmed Siddiqui met him at his secretariat office here.

 Shahab Uddin said the government of Bangladesh is doing its best with its limited resources to address the climate change impacts.

 "Moreover, we have doubled climate-related expenses in the last seven years as part of our annual development programme," he said.

 Environment, Forest and Climate Change Secretary Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Additional Secretary (Development) Md Mizanul Haque Chowdhury, Joint Secretary Zakia Afroz, Deputy Secretary (Climate Change) Dharitri Kumar Sarkar and Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan Qamar Abbas Khokhar were present.

 Mentioning that the developed and larger emitter countries are not serious enough to cut their emissions, he urged all parties, developed and developing countries, to work together to resolve the climate change issues during the upcoming COP27 at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

 He said the developed countries must scale up finance delivery to meet the US$ 100 billion per year goal.

 As Bangladesh and Pakistan belong to the same region and group, Pakistan should have the same position in the upcoming COP27 negotiation process, Shahab Uddin said.

 The Pakistani envoy appreciated Bangladesh's various initiatives to combat climate change.

 He said Pakistan, like Bangladesh, is facing adverse impacts even though it is not responsible for climate change.

 Siddiqui said the rich countries responsible for this must take responsibility. 

In this regard, Bangladesh and Pakistan can raise similar demands in various international forums, he said.

The Pakistan envoy expressed the hope of working together on climate change-related research, exchange of experience, and implementation of projects.