Climate
Muslims around the world consider climate during Ramadan
In the heart of Jakarta, the grand Istiqlal Mosque was built with a vision for it to stand for a thousand years.
The mosque was conceived by Soekarno, Indonesia’s founding father, and was designed as an impressive symbol for the country's independence. Its seven gates — representing the seven heavens in Islam — welcome visitors from across the archipelago and the world into the mosque's lofty interior.
But they don't just see the light here. It fuels them.
A major renovation in 2019 installed upwards of 500 solar panels on the mosque's expansive roof, now a major and clean source of Istiqlal's electricity. And this Ramadan, the mosque has encouraged an energy waqf — a type of donation in Islam that continues to bear fruit over time — to grow its capacity to make renewable power.
Her Pramtama, deputy head of the Ri’ayah — or building management — division of Istiqlal Mosque, hopes that Islam's holiest month, when the faithful flock to mosques in greater numbers, can provide momentum to Istiqlal's solar project through donations.
The mosque's climate push is just one example of different “Green Ramadan” initiatives in Indonesia and around the world that promote an array of changes during the Muslim holy month, which has fasting and, in many cases, feasting elements as people gather to break their fasts.
In a month where restraint and charity are emphasized, recommendations can include using less water while performing the ritual washing before prayers, replacing plastic bottles and cutlery during community iftars with reusable ones and reducing food waste. Other suggestions include carpooling to mosques, using local produce, emphasizing recycling and using donations to fund clean energy projects.
For the world to limit the effects of climate change — which is already causing worsening droughts, floods and heat waves — the use of dirty fuels for electricity and transport, petrochemicals to make products like plastics and the emissions from food waste in landfills all need to be drastically slashed, scientists say. Though individual initiatives are just a small part of that transition, experts say growing momentum behind climate goals can have an effect.
Groups taking an Islamic-based approach often highlight environmental understandings of certain Quranic verses and sayings and practices of Prophet Muhammad about the earth, water and against wastefulness.
Last year, at a meeting of the Muslim Congress for Sustainable Indonesia, the country’s vice president Ma’ruf Amin called on clerics and community leaders “to play an active role in conveying issues related to environmental damage” and asked for concrete action on climate change including through donations to solar projects like those at Istiqlal Mosque.
Muhammad Ali Yusuf, a board member at the faith-based Nahdlatul Ulama’s Institution for Disaster Management and Climate Change in Indonesia, said spreading awareness about clean energy is a “shared responsibility” for Muslims, where mosques' own solar panel installations can be catalysts toward a greater transition.
In the United States and Canada, environmental groups that began springing up in Muslim communities in the mid-2000s independently from one another formed “green Muslim understandings” from within their religious traditions, according to Imam Saffet Catovic, a U.S. Muslim community environmental activist.
“In some cases, the mosques were receptive to it,” he said. In others, mosque leaders, “didn’t fully understand” the drive, he added.
Ramadan offers a “possibility for ecological training that’s unique to the Muslim community,” Catovic said. “Thirty days allow someone to change their habits."
The Islamic Society of North America website calls on Muslims to be “an eco-friendly community”, saying looking after the environment is “based upon the premise that Islam has ordained us to be the stewards and protectors of this planet.”
Some mosques and Muslims around the world are heeding such calls, one small step at a time.
Ahead of Ramadan this year, the mosque at Al Ma’hadul Islamic Boarding School in Indonesia received solar panels through Islamic donations, supplying enough energy for the mosque's entire needs. The electricity from the solar panels also lights up schools and roads in the vicinity.
The Nizamiye Mosque in Johannesburg, South Africa, with its towering minarets and spacious interior, has a roof dotted with domes and solar panels that help keep the power on at the mosque and its surrounding schools, clinic and bazaar.
The 143 panels cover over a third of the complex's energy use in a country that has struggled in recent years to provide enough electricity through its strained grid.
In Edison, New Jersey, Masjid Al-Wali¸ a mosque and community center, has been adopting changes such as selling reusable water bottles to members at cost and installing more water coolers to discourage the use of disposable plastic bottles, said board member Akil Mansuri.
“Preserving the environment is the Islamically right thing to do,” Mansuri said. “People accept the message, but adoption is always slower.”
Several years ago, Masjid Al-Wali, whose activities include an Islamic school and monthly community dinners, installed solar panels.
Meals this Ramadan for the mosque’s community iftars come in plastic pre-packaged boxes for now, Mansuri said. But mosque leaders encourage members to take leftovers and reuse the boxes, instead of throwing them away, he said, adding he hopes alternatives can be found next Ramadan.
In the United Kingdom, Projects Against Plastic, a Bristol-based charity, is leading a plastic-free Ramadan campaign.
“I feel like, as a Muslim, that mosques are the hub of the communities and they should take a little bit more leading role for sustainability and toward recycling,” PAP founder Naseem Talukdar said. “During the month of Ramadan is where I’ve really seen a ridiculous amount of plastic being used and thrown away.”
Mosques are urged to raise awareness on plastic pollution and reduce reliance on single-use plastic. Seven Bristol mosques participated in a pilot project last year, with varying results, and a national campaign, with more than 20 participating mosques, was rolled out this year.
Besides education, another challenge is when mosques don’t have enough funds to buy reusable cutlery, dishwashers and water fountains.
“We knew we were going to hit some hard walls and some pushbacks, but, to be honest, the engagement that we’ve seen so far, it was a little overwhelming,” Talukdar said. “Even though the progress is slow, but there’s a real appetite for this kind of initiative within the mosque."
Ummah for Earth, an alliance-led initiative that aims to empower Muslim communities facing climate change, is urging people to pledge to adopt one eco-friendly practice during Ramadan. Options include asking an imam to address environmental issues, donating to environmental charities and shopping sustainably.
“Many Muslims are not aware that there are environmental teachings in the Quran and the sayings of the prophet and that they have a role that they can play to protect the planet,” said Nouhad Awwad, Beirut-based campaigner and global outreach coordinator for the Ummah for Earth project at Greenpeace MENA.
As they work to raise awareness, campaigners often encounter the argument that climate change is “destined” and that “you cannot change God’s destiny,” Awwad said.
“We’re trying to change the narrative,” she said. “We have things that we can do on an individual level, on a community level and on a political level.”
PM Hasina: Bolster regional & global efforts to mitigate climate change damages
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said the global and individual country’s efforts need to be streamlined through responsive policy, planning and governance, to make the actions regarding climate change issue successful.
“Since origins of the climate change are global, their solution and management would also have to be global,” she said.
The prime minister came up with this view while delivering her pre-recorded speech in the two day 5th International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
The International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (ICDRI) is the annual conference of Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and its partners. It brings together member countries, organizations, institutions and infrastructure actors and stakeholders to strengthen the global discourse on disaster and climate resilient infrastructure.
The programme was held with the theme of ‘Delivering Resilient and Inclusive Infrastructure: Pathways for Risk Informed Systems, Practices and Investments’. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke at the programme.
Hasina, however, assured that Bangladesh is ready to join any initiative at the regional and global level dealing with the impacts of climate change.
“I call upon for coordinated global efforts and shared vision for climate adaptation, mitigation and resilient infrastructures,” she said.
She said that commitment and compliance on financing mechanisms are indispensable for addressing the unforeseen crises.
“A greater sense of solidarity among governments, international and regional organisations, private sectors are required to build a sustainable and resilient future for all of us,” she said.
At the same time, she said, "we need to bring changes in our way of thinking in this discourse by incorporating science, technology, innovation, resilient transition."
She reiterated Bangladesh’s commitment to working with the global community hand in hand to ensure a better world for all.
The International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure 2023 brings a purposeful focus on demonstrable solutions towards a call for action to realize resilience of infrastructure.
ICDRI 2023 will engage decision-makers, thought leaders, academia and institutions from across the world working on solutions for infrastructure resilience.
PM Hasina said that due to the adverse impacts of climate change, all are facing unpredictable climatic events and disasters, which are damaging establishments and resources in massive scales.
“Strong and resilient physical infrastructure is needed to withstand and adapt to changing conditions, and from shocks and stresses.”
Recently, she said that the world has witnessed a series of catastrophes like massive earthquakes in Turkey, Syria and Afghanistan, hurricanes in the Caribbean, the US and Canada and flood in South Africa.
Last year, she mentioned that Bangladesh, experienced a series of natural disasters, including floods and cyclones, causing huge economic losses.
“It is important that all future infrastructure construction and systems must be resilient to disasters to protect our investments," she stated.
She said that as one of the most climate vulnerable countries, Bangladesh experiences frequent natural calamities like flood, tidal surge, cyclone, storm, drought and thunderbolt.
“IPCC report 2022 predicts, Bangladesh is at the risk of 2 to 9 per cent of GDP losses by the mid and end of the century due to climate change," she noted.
She said that In 2009, her government established the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund with own resources where nearly 800 projects have so far been implemented at a cost of USD 480 million.
During the recent Presidency of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, Bangladesh launched Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan to build a climate resilient prosperous country, she added.
She said that In 2022, the government launched the National Adaptation Plan, with a projected need for USD 230 billion by 2050.
Earlier, it formulated a long-term Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 with the aim of building a resilient and prosperous delta for our future generations.
“My government now attaches importance to science-based infrastructure design and implementation. We recognise the need for involving our local communities to make the infrastructures work for them,” she said.
In this regard, she said that the government has implemented a thousand flood control, drainage and irrigation schemes to cover more than 6 million hectares of land. It has conducted dredging and re-excavation of 1,400 kms of rivers.
“We have built nearly 22,000 km of embankments, alongside 139 coastal polders. These infrastructures are giving protection to more than 20 million flood vulnerable people. We have so far conducted 1,229 km of riverbank protection work.”
For disaster response, she mentioned that Bangladesh has 4,530 cyclone shelters, some of which also serve as schools in regular times.
“We are now constructing 550 Mujib Killas on raised grounds for multiple uses, including sheltering people and livestock during natural calamities.”
Under the flagship Ashrayan project, she said, her government has so far built over 700,000 houses and those were handed over to the landless and homeless people at free of cost.
“These houses are strong enough to endure any natural disaster. We have also built 139 five-storey buildings in Cox’s Bazar to rehabilitate climate-displaced people,"
The PM said that her government is scaling up nature-based solutions like coastal green belts, floating vegetable cultivation and millions of palm tree plantation.
“We are using our local-level trained volunteers as well as digital information and service centres to provide early warning. As a result of our actions, the number of deaths due to natural disasters has decreased significantly in recent years," she said.
The global community also recognised the efforts of Bangladesh and as recognition, the country has been awarded with ‘Champion of the Earth’ and many more accolades, she said.
Boosting cooperation with Bangladesh on political, economic, climate fronts priorities for France: Ambassador Marie Masdupuy
Newly appointed Ambassador of France to Bangladesh Marie Masdupuy has said she will focus on three priority areas during her tenure in Dhaka to take the relations to a new height that include to “maintain and boost” political relations which can be translated in many different ways.
“Bangladesh and France have a very old political relationship. Even before the Liberation of Bangladesh, France gave very important political support internationally. We were at the forefront of the Bangladesh cause. This is the imprint that we all bear in our minds,” she told UNB in an interview.
Sharing her three-fold priorities, Ambassador Masdupuy said the two countries can lead joint initiatives in the area of climate change, noting that France and Bangladesh are both champions in this area.
France is a champion in promoting multilateral initiatives to give a better framework to the international community about climate change issues while Bangladesh is a champion in terms of being one of the most vulnerable countries in the world when it comes to dealing with climate change impacts, the French envoy observed.
Read more: French photographer who documented Liberation War revisits Bangladesh after 50 years
Highlighting the trade and investment issues, Ambassador Masdupuy said there are not enough French companies in Bangladesh.
There were more before Covid-19 and some of them left during the pandemic. “We need to attract them back. This must be done through joint efforts by both countries,” said the ambassador.
“We want to bring in many more French companies,” said the ambassador, recalling her visit to Chattogram, which she finds to be a thriving region of Bangladesh.
She said the prospect of Chattogram is very encouraging and contribution of Chattogram division to Bangladesh’s national economy is huge, and the port itself is making huge contributions and efforts to get an international level of competition. “This is very encouraging.”
Talking about the CMA CGM, a French container transportation and shipping company, the ambassador said it is already the second largest freighter to and from Chattogram and they are looking forward to become more important as much as the port itself will technically adapt to their requests and needs and to get to the level of Colombo and Singapore.
Read More: Md. Monwar Hossain appointed as the next ambassador to Myanmar
Indo-Pacific Region
France and Bangladesh share the same vision for a “free, open, peaceful, secure and inclusive” Indo-Pacific region, based on international law and with shared prosperity for all.
Taking note of the French and European strategies concerning the Indo-Pacific, both countries agreed to work towards promoting regional peace and stability and to explore further opportunities for cooperation in maritime security and blue economy.
“You know, France in the European Union (EU) was the first country to offer all European partners a strategy for the Indo-Pacific region. This strategy was adopted with some small differences and it was made an EU strategy,” said the ambassador.
Responding to a question, the French envoy said, “This strategy is not meant to be confrontational. It was meant to enhance cooperation in the whole region which is one of the largest trade regions and human exchanges regions of the world.”
Read more: New French, Omani ambassadors present credentials to President
So, she mentioned, it is not meant to be confrontational with any country of the bigger region.
Highlighting their commitment to fully observing the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as well as the peaceful settlement of disputes, refraining from any threat or use of force, Bangladesh and France stated the importance of maintaining security and freedom of navigation and overflight in all seas and oceans.
Defence Cooperation
Ambassador Masdupuy said France is a world leader in terms of defence equipment and military equipment of high quality.
“Bangladesh is a country which already has various defence partners who have very strategic positions in South Asia,” she said, adding that any important country has to protect itself from all sorts of threats that they are facing today.
Read More: Ambassador Muhith elected vice-president of UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board
She said France is a world leader in terms of procurement and is, of course, ready and available to propose various equipment which would answer the particular needs of Bangladesh.
During Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s state visit to France in November 2021, the two countries stated their will to further develop the defence and security component of their partnership.
To that end, both countries agreed to strengthen dialogue and continue their cooperation, in particular the area of training, which was launched during the visit.
Furthermore, they committed to stepping up cooperation in the area of defence equipment based on the needs expressed and each party’s ability to respond to them, including through capacity building and potential technology transfer.
Read More: Amanul Haq appointed next Ambassador of Bangladesh to Turkey
In this regard, both parties welcomed the signing of a Letter of intent on defence cooperation.
GSP Plus
Bangladesh is currently enjoying trade facilities under the EBA (Everything but Arms) regime and the EBA regime will change as part of a technical measure.
“It will change once Bangladesh graduates as a developing country which is scheduled to happen in 2026. The friends of Bangladesh will look for ways and accompany during the transition period. We hope that the measures taken by your government will no doubt be adaptive to the situation. Your country will eventually take advantage of this new regime. It just needs a few adaptive measures.”
Airbus & Thales
Ambassador Masdupuy is thinking in particular of two important companies for greater engagements which are very actively involved currently on projects — the first being Airbus.
Read more: BGMEA chief calls on French brand to expand business base in Bangladesh
European aerospace giant Airbus is a leader in aviation and airspace while another company Thales is a major player in the high-tech industry in France.
Friendship based on Strong Bonding
Reflecting on 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the ambassador said, “It is true that the 50 years period is coming to an end soon. But we will have another 50 years event in April this year when we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Andre Malraux’s visit to Bangladesh.”
Andre Malraux, the famous French litterateur and politician, wanted to join the Bangladesh Liberation War and take over a military command.
Once Bangladesh was liberated, Malraux did not miss the opportunity to visit the newly liberated country. Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman personally invited Malraux in recognition of his contribution to Bangladesh’s liberation.
Read More: Ambassador Haas aims to continue strengthening Bangladesh-US ties in 2023
Two years into the country's independence, Malraux came to Bangladesh on 21 April, 1973.
During his five-day visit, Malraux traveled from Rajshahi to Chittagong and met freedom fighters, young university students, and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman twice.
German coal mine clash pits laws against climate
The fate of a tiny village has sparked heated debate in Germany over the country’s continued use of coal and whether tackling climate change justifies breaking the law.
Environmental activists have been locked in a standoff with police who started eviction operations on Wednesday in the hamlet of Luetzerath, west of Cologne, that’s due to be bulldozed for the expansion of a nearby lignite mine. Some stones and fireworks were thrown at officers in riot gear, who could be seen dismantling stalls set up by protesters.
Protesters refused Tuesday to heed a court ruling effectively banning them from the area. Some dug trenches, built barricades and perched atop giant tripods in an effort to stop heavy machines from reaching the village, before police pushed them back by force.
“People are putting all of their effort, all of their lives into this struggle to keep the coal in the ground,” said Dina Hamid, a spokesperson for the activist group Luetzerath Lives.
“If this coal is burned, we’re actually going to take down our climate goals,” she said. “So we’re trying to, with our bodies, protect the climate goals.”
The debate flared up hours later at a townhall meeting in nearby Erkelenz, when one regional official accused activists of being willing to “spill human blood” to defend the now-abandoned village.
Also Read: Climate activists dig in to defend village from coal mine
Stephan Pusch, who heads the district administration, said that while he sympathized with the protesters’ aims, the time had come to give up Luetzerath. The village’s last resident left in 2022 after being forced to sell to utility company RWE.
“You’ve achieved your goal. Now clear the pitch,” he said to jeers from the room.
Many disagreed, arguing that the village is more than just a potent symbol for the need to stop global warming.
Studies indicate that about 110 million metric tons of coal could be extracted from beneath Luetzerath. The government and RWE say this coal is needed to ensure Germany’s energy security — squeezed by the cut in supply of Russian gas due to the war in Ukraine.
Critics counter that burning so much coal would make it much harder for Germany, and the world, to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) as agreed in the 2015 Paris climate accord.
“Nobody wants to be out there in the cold right now, defending a forest or a village,” said Maya Rollberg, a 26-year-old student who had traveled from southern Germany. “But I think that people have realized that they have to do that in order to (protect) future generations.”
Dietmar Jung, a retired priest attending the meeting, said he was tired of hearing officials say the law was on the side of RWE.
“They keep going back to the legal situation,” he said. “But the right to live doesn’t play a role here (for them).”
Pusch, the regional administration chief, warned protesters that intentionally breaking the law wouldn’t help their cause in a country where the violent seizure of power and the horrors of dictatorship are still within living memory.
“I’ll tell you honestly that I’m scared my children will grow up in a world that isn’t worth living in anymore,” he said. “But I’m at least as scared of my children growing up in a country where everyone takes the law into their own hands.”
“You won’t save the world’s climate on your own,” said Pusch. “(We’ll) only do so if we manage to take the majority of the population with us.”
Similar debates over how far civil disobedience can go have taken place in Germany and elsewhere in recent months amid a wave of road blockades and other dramatic actions by protesters demanding tougher measures to combat climate change.
Some climate activists say the law is ultimately on their side, citing a 2021 ruling by the country’s supreme court that forced the government to step up its effort to cut emissions. They also note the legally binding nature of Germany’s commitments under the Paris accord.
Speaking after the townhall meeting, student Jannis Niethammer acknowledged that the dispute over Luetzerath touches on fundamental issues. “It’s a question of democracy and how do we actually get a democracy to move toward climate protection, toward climate justice,” he said.
Janine Wissler, a federal lawmaker and co-leader of the opposition Left party, suggested the way out would be for the government to reverse its decision allowing the village to be razed.
“If we want to achieve our climate targets and take the Paris climate agreement seriously, then the coal beneath Luetzerath needs to stay in the ground,” she told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the protest.
Wissler criticized an agreement struck last year between the government and utility company RWE to permit mining beneath the village in return for an earlier end to coal use in Germany. Some experts say that, in sum, the deal will lead to higher emissions.
“We’re already experiencing droughts, famines and floods. Climate change is happening already,” she said. “And therefore wrong decisions need to be corrected.”
Coastal Towns Climate Resilience: ADB approves $250 mn for Bangladesh
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the government of Bangladesh have signed agreements for $250 million in loans to strengthen climate and disaster resilience in 22 coastal towns in Bangladesh.
Sharifa Khan, Secretary, Economic Relations Division, and Jiangbo Ning, Deputy Country Director, ADB, signed the agreements on behalf of Bangladesh and ADB, respectively on Monday.
“The project prioritizes local economic development in project towns by enhancing the livelihood resilience and adaptive capacity of vulnerable households through the graduation program in six project towns with high poverty levels,” said Deputy Country Director Jiangbo Ning.
Read more: ADB to fund urban transport, climate resilience, renewables projects worth $628 million
“The project will support the Government of Bangladesh in achieving integrated and sustainable urban development to improve the livability of coastal towns in the face of increasing climate-related disaster risks,” Deputy Country Director Jiangbo Ning.
The assistance under the Coastal Towns Climate Resilience Project will develop infrastructure for building climate resilience in coastal towns, including infrastructure to improve urban flood risk management such as stormwater drainage, nature-based solutions, water body restoration, and integrated waste management. Cyclone shelters with early warning systems will be established, taking into account the needs of the elderly, women, children, and persons with special needs.
Bridges, culverts, and roads with stormwater drainage will be constructed and rehabilitated.
A comprehensive set of interventions in six project towns will be implemented to help vulnerable households, especially poor women, cope with climate shocks and develop livelihood resilience.
These include climate risk assessment for diversifying livelihoods, household skills and resources mapping, enterprise and employment matching, and provision of livelihood training.
Read more: Bangladesh mandates ADB to advise on $400million expressway connecting 10 economic zones
The project will strengthen the knowledge and capacity of the Local Government Engineering Department and the project towns in managing climate and disaster resilience.
They will be trained on nature-based and green solutions, gender equality and social inclusion-responsive climate and disaster risk sensitive master planning, and information technology-based remote monitoring to inform risk-based urban development plans and develop mitigation measures.
The project will also enhance public awareness to prepare for future emergencies and crises.
The ADB financing includes $246 million in regular and concessional loans and a $4 million grant from the Asian Development Fund. The Government of Bangladesh will contribute $60 million.
ADB to fund urban transport, climate resilience, renewables projects worth $628 million
Asian Development Bank (ADB) is funding USD $628.29 million to implement 'Greater Dhaka Sustainable Urban Transport (BRT- Gazipur), 'Coastal Towns Climate Resilience and Third Public-Private Infrastructure Development Facility.
A loan agreement was signed between the Economic Relations Division (ERD) and ADB in this regard in Dhaka on Monday.
ERD secretary Sharifa Khan and Jiangbo Ning, Deputy Country Director and Officer-In-Charge, of Bangladesh Resident Mission, signed the deed documents on behalf of their respective side.
Greater Dhaka Sustainable Urban Transport Project (BRT- Gazipur) will be executed by the Road Transport and Highways Division and implemented by the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA), and Local Government Engineering Department (LGED).
The objective of the project is to improve the quality of urban life in the Gazipur-Tongi area, establishing an efficient, sustainable, environment-friendly, affordable, and safe urban transport system through the construction of a 20.50 km long Bus Rapid System from Gazipur to the Airport.
ADB will provide an additional $100 million ordinary operations (Regular) loan which is repayable in 25 years with a grace period of 5 years.
Coastal Towns Climate Resilience Project will be executed by LGED under the local government division. The objective of the project is to strengthen climate and disaster resilience of the selected coastal towns at risk and improve the quality of life of women and poor in the locality.
15 Pourashovas from 6 districts of Barisal division, 5 Pourashovas from 3 districts of Khulna division, and 2 Pourashovas of Shariatpur district of Dhaka division are covered by this project. The estimated completion date of the project is 30 June 2029.
ADB's $250 million support for this project includes a $150 million ordinary operations (Concessional) loan, a $96 million regular loan, and $4 million grants. The loan is repayable in 25 years with a grace period of 5 years.
Read more: Bangladesh signs $200 million loan deal with ADB to boost micro-enterprise
The interest rate on concessional loans is 2 percent fixed. OCR (regular) loan interest rate is SOFR (Secured Overnight Financing Rate) + 0.50 percent, including maturity premium at the rate of 0.10 percent and commitment charge at the rate of 0.15 percent on undisbursed amount.
Third Public-Private Infrastructure Development Facility-2 will be implemented by Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) to invest in infrastructure projects developed under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
Estimated completion date of the project is June 2027. The ADB loan for this project has two components- $262.29 million ordinary operations (Regular) and $16 million ordinary operations (Concessional) that will support investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions. Both loans have a repayment period of 25 years, including a 5 year grace period.
Since 1973, ADB has been one of the largest multilateral development partners of Bangladesh extending development assistance to the country. ADB's total loan to Bangladesh till now is more than $27.844 billion and the total grant is about $0.541 billion.
Read more: Bangladesh mandates ADB to advise on $400million expressway connecting 10 economic zones
Weather, climate disasters hit millions, cost billions in 2022: UN
Weather and climate disasters, from extreme floods to heat and drought, hit millions and cost billions in 2022, the UN weather agency said Friday.
The clear need to do much more to cut greenhouse gas emissions was again underscored throughout events in 2022, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) added.
"This year we have faced several dramatic weather disasters which claimed far too many lives and livelihoods and undermined health, food, energy and water security and infrastructure," WMO chief Petteri Taalas said.
"There is a need to enhance preparedness for such extreme events and to ensure that we meet the UN target of Early Warnings for All in the next five years."
While Global temperature figures for 2022 will be released in mid-January, the past eight years are on track to be the eight warmest on record, according to the WMO.
While the persistence of a cooling La Niña event, now in its third year, means that 2022 will not be the warmest year on record, its cooling impact will be short-lived and not reverse the long-term warming trend caused by record levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.
Also, this will be the tenth successive year that temperatures have reached at least 1°C above pre-industrial levels – likely to breach the 1.5°C limit of the Paris Agreement.
The WMO will promote a new way of monitoring the sinks and sources of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide by using the ground-based Global Atmosphere Watch, satellite and assimilation modelling, which allows a better understanding of how key greenhouse gases behave in the atmosphere.
Greenhouse gases are just one climate indicator used to observe levels.
Sea levels, which have doubled since 1993; ocean heat content; and acidification are also at recorded highs.
The past two and a half years alone account for 10 percent of the overall sea level rise since satellite measurements started nearly 30 years ago, the WMO's provisional State of the Global Climate in 2022 report said.
And 2022 took an exceptionally heavy toll on glaciers in the European Alps, with initial indications of record-shattering melt.
The Greenland ice sheet lost mass for the 26th consecutive year and it rained – rather than snowed – on the summit for the first time in September.
Although 2022 did not break global temperature records, it topped many national heat records throughout the world.
India and Pakistan experienced soaring heat in March and April. China had the most extensive and long-lasting heatwave since national records began and the second-driest summer on record.
And parts of the northern hemisphere were exceptionally hot and dry.
Read more: Summer droughts now 20 times more likely due to climate change
A large area centred around the central-northern part of Argentina, as well as in southern Bolivia, central Chile, and most of Paraguay and Uruguay, experienced record-breaking temperatures during two consecutive heatwaves in late November and early December 2022.
"Record-breaking heatwaves have been observed in China, Europe, North and South America," the WMO chief said. 'The long-lasting drought in the Horn of Africa threatens a humanitarian catastrophe."
And while large parts of Europe sweltered in repeated episodes of extreme heat, the UK hit a new national record in July, when the temperature topped more than 40°C for the very first time.
In East Africa, rainfall was below average throughout four consecutive wet seasons – the longest in 40 years – triggering a major humanitarian crisis affecting millions of people, devastating agriculture, and killing livestock, especially in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.
Record-breaking rain in July and August led to extensive flooding in Pakistan, which caused at least 1,700 deaths, displaced 7.9 million and affected 33 million people.
Read more: UN chief appeals to world to help badly flood-hit Pakistan
Japan reverts to max nuclear power to tackle energy, climate
Japan on Thursday adopted a new policy promoting greater use of nuclear energy to ensure a stable power supply amid global fuel shortages and to reduce carbon emissions — a major reversal of its phase-out plan since the Fukushima crisis.
The new policy says Japan must maximize the use of existing nuclear reactors by restarting as many of them as possible and prolonging the operating life of old reactors beyond their 60-year limit, and by developing next-generation reactors to replace them.
Anti-nuclear sentiment and safety concerns rose sharply in Japan after the 2011 Fukushima disaster, and restart approvals have since come slowly under stricter safety standards. Utility companies have applied for restarts at 27 reactors in the past decade. Seventeen have passed safety checks and only 10 have resumed operations. That was in line with Japan's earlier plan to phase out nuclear energy by 2030.
In a reversal, the new policy says nuclear power provides stable output and serves “an important role as a carbon-free baseload energy source in achieving supply stability and carbon neutrality” and pledges to “sustain use of nuclear power into the future."
The Economy and Industry Ministry has drafted a plan to allow extensions every 10 years for reactors after 30 years of operation, while also permitting utilities to subtract offline periods in calculating reactors’ operational life beyond the current 60-year limit.
The plan was approved on Wednesday by the Nuclear Regulation Authority, Japan's nuclear watchdog, paving the way for the policy to be adopted. New safety inspection rules still need to be compiled into law and approved by Parliament.
Read more: Policy, climate, war make 2022 'pivot year' for clean energy
Most nuclear reactors in Japan are more than 30 years old. Four reactors that have operated for more than 40 years have received permission to operate, and one is currently online.
The policy paper says Japan will also push for the development and construction of “next-generation innovative reactors” with safer features to replace about 20 reactors now set for decommissioning.
Thursday’s adoption of the new policy comes less than four months after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida launched the “GX (Green Transformation) Implementation Council” of outside experts and ministers to “consider all options” to compile a new policy that addresses global fuel shortages amid Russia’s war on Ukraine and seeks to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
The council also adopted plans to make renewables Japan's main energy source and further promote hydrogen and ammonia as well as off-shore wind power and other forms of energy to promote decarbonization, supply resilience and economic security.
The regulation authority’s commissioner, Shinichi Yamanaka, told a news conference the new safety rules requiring operational permits every decade after 30 years will be safer than a current one-time 20-year extension option for 40-year-old reactors.
Takeo Kikkawa, an economics professor at the International University of Japan and an expert on energy, said utility operators under the new policy could keep using old equipment instead of investing in new technology or renewables. He also said prolonging the operational life of old reactors is unsafe.
“Naturally, we should aim for newer technology and use it safely. Therefore, extending reactors' lifespans is an undesirable move,” Kikkawa recently told a talk show.
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The new policy does not help address imminent supply shortages because reactors cannot be restarted as quickly as the government hopes due to operators' delayed safety upgrades and other obstacles including local consent, experts say.
Nuclear energy accounts for less than 7% of Japan’s energy supply, and achieving the government's goal of raising its share to 20-22% by fiscal 2030 will require about 27 reactors, from the current 10 — a target some say is not achievable.
Experts say developing next-generation reactors involves huge costs and uncertain prospects.
Kenichi Oshima, a Ryukoku University professor of environmental economy and energy policy, said some of what the government calls “innovative” reactors are not so different from existing technology and that prospects for nuclear fusion and other next-generation reactors are largely uncertain and not achievable anytime soon.
The regulation authority came under fire Wednesday after revelations by a civil group that a few of its experts had discussed details with industry ministry officials before the watchdog was officially asked to consider a rule change, despite their compulsory independence.
Despite the failure and closure of the Monju plutonium-burning reactor, Japan insists on continuing with spent-fuel reprocessing at the trouble-prone Rokkasho plant and nuclear fuel recycling, which has created a stockpile of excess plutonium and drawn international concerns over its nuclear safeguards. The Rokkasho plant recently announced its 26th postponement of its launch target to 2024 from 2022.
Opponents say nuclear power is not flexible and not even cheaper than renewables when final waste management and necessary safety measures are added, and that it can cause immeasurable damage in an accident or in conflict, as in Russia’s attacks on a Ukrainian nuclear plant.
Ruiko Muto, a survivor of the Fukushima disaster, called the new policy “extremely disappointing.” She added: “The Fukushima disaster is not over yet and the government seems to have already forgotten what happened.”
Policy, climate, war make 2022 'pivot year' for clean energy
For renewable energy companies in India, it's a good time to be in business.
One of India’s largest renewable energy firms, Renew Power, will be among the corporations big and small hoping for a piece of a $2.6 billion government scheme that encourages the domestic manufacturing of components required to produce solar energy. It's the biggest such incentive in India's history.
Renew Power's CEO Sumant Sinha said the government funds for clean energy send “a strong signal” that the country wants “to become a manufacturing location for renewable energy equipment and a global alternative to China eventually.”
“We are excited to be a part of this journey,” he said.
The company has over 100 clean energy projects across India and has become the world’s tenth largest solar and wind energy company in just over a decade.
Other major governments around the world have been green lighting ambitious renewable energy policies this past year that aim for major expansions of wind and solar energies, along with development of technologies like carbon capture, which captures carbon dioxide, a central cause of climate change, and stores it in the ground. Some of the policies also include tax credits to buy electric vehicles, heat pumps or energy efficient materials for construction.
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The United States signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act, the most ambitious climate legislation in U.S. history, the European parliament passed the REPower EU plan to reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels and fast forward the transition to clean energy and China announced ambitious schemes to enable the country to meet its 2030 clean energy goals five years ahead of schedule.
Experts say the task is now to build on this momentum in 2023, strengthen energy grid infrastructure and resolve backend issues which slow down the distribution and transmission of clean energy.
“From an energy perspective, 2022 will go down as a pivot year. For the first time, we have discernible proof that fossil fuel demand after 200 years of growth had reached a peak in 2019 and we are now bumping along a plateau before an inevitable decline,” said Kingsmill Bond, an energy strategist at the Rocky Mountain Institute, a clean energy non-profit group.
RMI’s research has found that global energy demand grew by around six additional exajoules in 2022 — enough energy for around 6 million transatlantic flights. This is less than usual year-on-year growth as energy use is getting more efficient, the report said. Solar and wind supply growth this year was also calculated to be about six exajoules.
Bond added that the price of clean energy was getting closer to that of fossil fuels and in some cases it was cheaper.
A report by the International Energy Agency said that oil prices rose well above $100 per barrel in mid-2022 and high gas and coal prices accounted for electricity cost hikes around the world. But increased use of clean energy saved Asian countries, including China and India, a total of $34 billion in the past year, a separate report found.
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Energy analysts say that the global energy crisis triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and increasing climate threats such as the disastrous floods in Pakistan have accelerated the clean energy policies and big tickets investments that are needed to transition to renewable energy, especially wind and solar energy, around the world.
The sudden lack of access to fossil fuels and supply chain crunches were also other key reasons for the aggressive tilt towards cleaner energy. For example, Russia’s sale of gas to Europe was reduced to a trickle.
The invasion “had the effect of making it apparent that clean energy is the solution," said Lauri Myllyvirta, a lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
Despite the positive momentum towards clean energy, there were some pitfalls too.
“Knee jerk reactions saw some places shift back to fossil fuels even if its at a higher price to the taxpayer,” said Vibhuti Garg, a New Delhi-based energy economist at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.
India's coal production increased by about 17% from April to November 2022. Bangladesh increased its imports of natural gas and went ahead with opening thermal powerplants in the country. Germany, a strong advocate of clean energy, turned to coal and oil to address its short term power needs.
“It was a good year for renewable energy but sadly, not a bad year for fossil fuels either,” Garg added.
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But spurred by momentum from previous years the clean energy sector worldwide nevertheless took off this year.
“You know, 20 years ago, renewables became the cleanest forms of energy and then in the last few years, renewables become the cheapest form of energy," said Dave Jones, an energy analyst at London-based environmental think-tank, Ember. “Only this year, they’ve become the most secure form of energy."
Another report by the IEA said that developments in 2022 triggered unprecedented momentum behind renewables, with the world set to add as much renewable power in the next five years as it did in the past 20.
“There is still a lot that needs to be done but I think 2022 will be remembered as the year in which for the first time, renewables have ticked all the boxes,” Jones said.
There's acknowledgement from those in the sector that more work needs to be done to overcome the scale of the transition.
Sinha of Renew Power hopes that government policies in 2023 focus on dealing with the bottlenecks that prevent clean energy growth.
“Currently the power sector is designed around fossil fuels and suddenly you have all this clean energy coming into the grid," said Sinha.
"We need more proactive policies that find ways to make room for renewables.”
$230bn needed: PM seeks support from global partners to implement climate adaptation plan
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged the international partners to support Bangladesh’s efforts to implement the National Adaptation Plan for 2023-2050, as USD 230 billion is required towards that end.
“We need 230 billion US dollars for implementing our National Adaptation Plan from both domestic and international resources. Bangladesh continues to seek a 50-50 distribution between adaptation and mitigation from international climate financing,” she said.
The premier was addressing the inaugural ceremony of a global hub on Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) at Foreign Service Academy through a virtual platform from her official residence Ganabhaban.
She opened the global hub to reinforce Bangladesh’s global leadership on LLA, building on the momentum generated during COP27.
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Sheikh Hasina said the National Adaptation Plan will complement the work being done under our Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 and Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan. “I invite our partners from the international public and private sectors to join us in this effort in the spirit of the Paris Agreement,” she said.
The PM said Bangladesh now spends 6-7 percent of the GDP for climate adaptation. Bangladesh has so far implemented 800 projects for both climate adaptation and mitigation under a Climate Change Trust Fund set up with its own resources in 2009, she said.
She called upon all major carbon emitting countries to further enhance the scope of their nationally determined contributions. “We must all redouble our efforts to keep the global warming limited to 1.5° Centigrade,” she added.
The Prime Minister said the people of Bangladesh have long been using migration as an adaptive response to climate impacts. “We need to give priority to both preventing and managing increased human mobility due to climate change,” she said.
Under the flagship Ashrayan programme, her government has built about a million semi-pucca disaster-tolerant houses for the homeless and landless people. The world’s biggest multi-storied housing project for climate migrants is being built at Khurushkul in Cox’s Bazar. Some 5,000 climate-refugee families who migrated from different islands were already rehabilitated in 139 multi-storey buildings there, she said.
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Talking about local climate resilience, Sheikh Hasina said the people of Bangladesh have been living with natural calamities for ages. They have attained some sort of resilience against flood, tidal surge, cyclone and other hazards. “They have learned to adapt to the changing courses of nature. Their collective efforts have turned Bangladesh into a climate adaptation hub,” she said.
In Bangladesh, local communities have their traditional knowledge and solutions for climate adaptation. The government also supports those solutions with resources and innovations, she said.
“This combination has served us well in developing a pool of bankable locally-led adaptation measures,” she said.
In this context, the PM focused on her government’s success and steps on building cyclone and flood shelters across the country; creating the coastal green belt and artificial mangrove forests through tree plantation; developing saline-, drought- and flood-tolerant crop varieties; adaptation of innovative methods for climate-smart fisheries and livestock rearing; strengthening mechanization in agriculture; promoting roof-top cultivation for food production and heat reduction; dredging rivers, ensuring easy access to safe drinking water for the coastal people; promoting adoption of renewable energy for irrigation purposes, and keeping measures for rainwater harvesting in new public sector buildings.
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“Bangladesh is now considered as a role model in disaster risk reduction,” she said.
She said her government will extend all possible support to the Global Hub on LLA. “We are pleased to have this as yet another offering from Bangladesh for the climate vulnerable people around the world,” she said.
The PM hoped that the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA) South Asian Regional Office, which was launched here in Dhaka in 2020, would emerge as a centre of excellence for the region and beyond.
Now the GCA has launched the Global Hub on LLA, responding to the call made by Sheikh Hasina to promote the sharing of experiences of Bangladesh, and other countries on building the climate resilience of vulnerable communities.
The global will identify LLA best practices and scale them via investments and partnerships; while advocating, and building capacity, for broader systemic change towards locally led adaptation in countries.
The Hub will implement activities that promote progress towards scaling up LLA in at least 25 countries by 2025.
GCA Chair and former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, GCA Chief Executive Officer Dr Patrick Verkooijen (through virtual platforms), Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, Environment Minister Shahab Uddin and British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson spoke on the occasion.