The Bangladesh delegation led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at COP26, including government officials, cabinet members and climate experts, remains hopeful of attaining two victories at this year’s conference, as the second and final week commences at the Scottish Exhibition Centre. 

The first is an agreement on limiting the rise in average temperature from pre-industrial levels to 1.5 degrees Celsius. 

Secondly, a renewed pledge from the developed, industrialised countries – those who historically have damaged the climate most - to provide funding of USD 100 billion to the developing countries to deal with the effects of climate change. 

The latter is a promise first made in 2009, at COP15 in Copenhagen. It remains unfulfilled to this day.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Shahab Uddin told UNB they were hopeful of some success in this year's COP conference.

“We hope that the leaders at this year's conference will agree on the issue of keeping the (rise in) temperature below 1.5 degrees Celsius and developed countries will keep the promise of funding USD 100 billion for the climate change crisis. Though the leaders of some countries have not agreed, the discussion is moving positively and we hope that the opinion will be in our favour,” he said.

He said Bangladesh strongly demands the developed countries to update their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – each country’s plan for dealing with climate change -  with targets of limiting the rise in temperature to  1.5 degrees or 2 degrees (maximum) Celsius, reducing high rates of carbon emissions and to deal with  greenhouse gases according to the countries' climate plans.

The minister said the Paris conference had pledged funding of USD 100 billion each year from the developed countries to reduce emissions on carbon. Although it has not been finalized yet, the discussions are still ‘positive’.

Meanwhile, at an event in the Bangladesh Pavilion of Glasgow on Friday afternoon, the Minister said that Bangladesh submitted its updated NDC to the UNFCCC on August 26.

It has been learned that the implementation of Bangladesh’s NDC will require USD 32 billion as unconditional contribution and USD 143 billion as conditional contribution by 2030.

Member of the Bangladesh delegation and climate expert Dr Atiqur Rahman told UNB that one of the issues in countries affected by climate change, like Bangladesh, is loss and damage. 

The issue of reducing temperature to 1.5 degree Celsius and getting developed countries to provide the funding of USD 100 billion, promised in 2009, have received positive responses  so far.

“But whether the countries that bear historic responsibility for climate change (industrialised nations)  will take the responsibility and keep the promise of funding USD 100 billion, can only be ascertained towards the end of the conference,” explained Dr Atiqur, recognized by the UN as a Champion of the Earth.