The government must announce that no new coal-based power project will be approved and financed after 2021 with a view to achieving the renewable energy target. Besides, developed countries responsible for a lion’s share of carbon emissions have to release money to the climate funds, including the Green Climate Fund (GCF), as compensation, not as loan or insurance money. The Bangladesh chapter of Transparency International, TIB made these recommendations at a press conference in Dhaka on Thursday, prior to the upcoming Climate Conference COP26 of the United Nations slated for October 31 to November 12 in Scotland’s Glasgow, UK. According to experts, the outcome of the conference is critically important for climate vulnerable countries like Bangladesh. They stressed the need for formulating a clear roadmap nationally for renewable energy so that implementation of the commitments we have made nationally and internationally to move towards renewable power generation can be fulfilled.
Although there is a global call for saying no to any new coal-fired power plants, many coal-based power plants are currently under construction, said experts.It is apprehended that Bangladesh, a victim of climate change, is likely to incur losses worth $2.2 billion on average per year because of global warming. The country’s annual average temperature has also increased by 0.64 per cent in 2018, which was 10 times higher than the annual average temperature increase in 1961. If the trend continues, by 2030 the annual average temperature will be nearly double. In such circumstances, the upcoming COP26 is important for Bangladesh along with other climate vulnerable countries to raise their voices.
Bangladesh along with other climate vulnerable countries has specific agenda that reflect their active interests. They would try to ensure commitments of major carbon emitting countries to limit carbon emissions, and scale up climate funds urgently to support vulnerable countries. Bangladesh, which will lead the Climate Vulnerable Forum at the COP26 in Glasgow with our prime minister as its chairperson, must take serious steps to promote renewable energy such as solar and wind power while phasing out all coal-fired plants. It must serve as an example to the world and prove that it practices what it preaches.
