COP26
Hasina leaves Glasgow for London
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday left Glasgow for London after attending the COP26 and other events in Scotland.
A VVIP aircraft of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the Prime Minister and her entourage departed the Glasgow International Airport at 12:50 pm (local time).
The flight is scheduled to land at Heathrow International Airport, London at 13:30pm (local time). Bangladeshi High Commissioner to the UK Saida Muna Tasneem will receive the Prime Minister.
Hasina will stay in London till November 9 before leaving for Paris as part of her two-week visit to the United Kingdom and France.
READ: World must share responsibility of climate migrants: Hasina
During her stay in London, the Prime Minister will attend a summit titled “Bangladesh Investment Summit 2021: Building Sustainable Growth Partnerships” (Nov 4), inaugurate an art exhibition titled “Bangabandhu and Britain: A Centenary Collection” and unveil the covers of two books titled “Secret Documents’ (Vol i-ix) and “Mujib & Introduction”.
Besides, Sheikh Hasina will attend Westminster’s programme and a civic reception to be accorded to her by the Bangladeshi community, inaugurate the newly-extended part of Bangladesh High Commission Bhaban and Bangabandhu Lounge there.
British Parliament Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and delegation of Taylor & Framcis will make courtesy calls on the Bangladesh Prime Minister in London.
The Prime Minister will stay in Paris from November 09 to November 13.
During her stay in Paris, Sheikh Hasina will hand over ‘Unesco-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Prize for the Creative Economy,’ deliver the keynote speech as special guest in the inaugural session of the 75th founding anniversary of Unesco, and attend Paris Peace Forum.
Besides, she will have meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron, French Prime Minister Jean Castex and French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly.
Sheikh Hasina will receive an official reception in the French Senate and hold a meeting with a team of French senators headed by the President of Inter-parliamentary Friendship Group senator Mathieu Damaud.
A delegation of French business body MEDEF, CEO of Airbus Guillaume Faury, President of Dassault Aviation Eric Trappier and President of Thales Patrice Caine will meet the Bangladesh Prime Minister there.
READ: Effective climate plans not possible without funds: Hasina
Sheikh Hasina will also attend a civic reception to be accorded to her by the Bangladesh Community in France.
The Prime Minister left Dhaka for Scotland on October 31 and is expected to return home on November 14 from Paris.
Effective climate plans not possible without funds: Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said effective action plans are not possible without adequate, sustained, and flexible climate finance.
“It’s sad and disappointing that till now the major greenhouse gas-emitting countries have failed to deliver their promised annual amount of 100 billion dollars,” she said.
She made the statement while presiding over Climate Vulnerable Forum Leaders’ Dialogue: Forging a CVF-COP26 Climate Emergency Pact at COP26 venue here on Tuesday.
Read: Women bear the brunt of climate change: Hasina
Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres and CVF Thematic Ambassador Saima Wazed Hossain, among others, spoke at the event.
“Faced with the existential threat of climate change, we, the CVF members, at this COP, demand that developed countries provide a Delivery Plan of the total 500 billion dollars for each of the entire 5-year period from 2020 to 2024, with a 50:50 ratio between the adaptation and mitigation,” Hasina said.
She said the CVF members are among the countries most affected by the adverse impacts of climate change despite having no historical role or responsibility for this crisis.
“At the same time, we, the most vulnerable countries, do not have either sufficient capability or capacity to overcome these challenges. This unfortunate dilemma, and for survival, we’ve been swayed to adopt measures on our own to face the devastating consequences of climate change,” she added.
Leaders vow to protect forests, plug methane leaks at COP26
World leaders promised to protect Earth’s forests, cut methane emissions and help South Africa wean itself off coal at the U.N. climate summit Tuesday — part of a flurry of deals intended to avert catastrophic global warming.
Britain hailed the commitment by over 100 countries to end deforestation in the coming decade as the first big achievement of the conference in the Scottish city of Glasgow, known as COP26 — but experts noted such promises have been made and broken before.
The U.K. government said it has received pledges from leaders representing more than 85% of the world’s forests to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030. Among them are several countries with massive forests, including Brazil, China, Colombia, Congo, Indonesia, Russia and the United States.
More than $19 billion in public and private funds have been pledged toward the plan.
“With today’s unprecedented pledges, we will have a chance to end humanity’s long history as nature’s conqueror, and instead become its custodian,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. “Let’s end this great chainsaw massacre by making conservation do what we know it can do, and that is deliver long-term sustainable jobs and growth as well.”
Read: At COP26, over 100 countries pledge to end deforestation
Experts and observers said fulfilling the pledge will be critical to limiting climate change, but many noted that such grand promises have been made in the past — to little effect.
“Signing the declaration is the easy part,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said on Twitter. “It is essential that it is implemented now for people and planet.”
Alison Hoare, a senior research fellow at political think tank Chatham House, said world leaders promised in 2014 to end deforestation by 2030, “but since then deforestation has accelerated across many countries.”
Brian Rohan, head of forests at environmental law charity ClientEarth, said that to succeed, the pledge “needs teeth.”
Forests are important ecosystems and provide a critical way of absorbing carbon dioxide — the main greenhouse gas — from the atmosphere. But the value of wood as a commodity and the growing demand for agricultural and pastoral land are leading to widespread and often illegal felling of forests, particularly in developing countries.
“We are delighted to see Indigenous Peoples mentioned in the forest deal announced today,” said Joseph Itongwa Mukumo, an Indigenous Walikale and activist from Congo.
He called for governments and businesses to recognize the effective role Indigenous communities play in preventing deforestation.
“These are billions in investment towards environmental preservation, but it’s very difficult for this money to reach Indigenous communities, reach traditional communities,” said Chief Ninawa, a leader of the Huni Kui people from the Amazon attending the summit.
Luciana Tellez Chavez, an environmental researcher at Human Right Watch, said the agreement contains “quite a lot of really positive elements.”
The EU, Britain and the U.S. are making progress on restricting imports of goods linked to deforestation and human rights abuses, “and it’s really interesting to see China and Brazil signing up to a statement that suggests that’s a goal,” she said.
But she noted that Brazil’s public statements don’t yet line up with its domestic policies and warned that the deal could be used by some countries to “greenwash” their image.
The Brazilian government has been eager to project itself as a responsible environmental steward in the wake of surging deforestation and fires in the Amazon rainforest and Pantanal wetlands that sparked global outrage and threats of divestment in recent years. But critics caution that its promises should be viewed with skepticism, and the country’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, is an outspoken proponent of developing the Amazon.
Read: COP26 must deliver a better future for everyone
PM attends bilateral meeting with Johnson, after calling on Charles
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday held a bilateral meeting with her British counterpart Boris Johnson on the sidelines of COP26.
The Prime Ministers discussed various issues of bilateral and multilateral import.
The meeting was held at the designated UK Meeting Room of the Scottish Exhibition Centre in Glasgow, where the UN-led COP26 climate conference is being held.
Earlier, the Prime Minister called on Prince Charles, heir to the British throne.
COP26: Women leaders for improving women’s participation in climate actions
The global women leaders at a high-level event here on Tuesday adopted a declaration with a call to improve women's participation and leadership in all climate actions as well as to connect the fight against gender inequality closely with the fight against climate change.
The declaration was adopted at the High-level Panel on Women and Climate Change, held on the sideline of the COP26 World Leaders' Summit at Scottish Pavilion in Glasgow. The Scottish authority and the UN Women hosted the event to discuss the importance of women's leadership in addressing climate change and its gendered impacts.
In the declaration titled “Glasgow Women’s Leadership on Gender Equality and Climate Change,” they said Climate change is an urgent human rights issue posing a serious risk to the fundamental rights to life, health, food, water and sanitation, decent work and an adequate standard of living of individuals and communities across the world. Climate change exacerbates existing inequalities, including gender inequality, they added.
The women leaders said, “We believe that the fight against climate change must be closely connected to the fight against gender inequality, and agree that ensuring women's and girls' leadership is vital if global efforts to tackle climate change are to succeed.”
They said women and girls are commonly disproportionately affected by climate change and face greater risks and burdens from its impacts, particularly in situations of poverty.
“Despite increased vulnerability to climate impacts, we recognize that women and girls have been creating and leading innovative climate solutions at all levels. One of the great injustices of the climate crisis is that the people and countries who are worst affected are those who have contributed at least to its causes,” they added.
Read: BGMEA showcases RMG industry’s strides in sustainability in COP26
“We therefore call for all climate actions to recognize the differentiated impact of climate change by factors such as age, gender, disability and location, and ensure women's and girls' voice and agency and their full and effective participation and leadership in policy and decision. - making at community, national and international levels, and increase ambition in all sectors,” the leaders said.
Expressing their gratefulness to those who have led efforts to date at government, intergovernmental, private sector and civil society levels to advance the interests of women and girls in climate action, they said, “We particularly acknowledge women leaders, especially young women and girls at all levels who have championed this agenda, and commit to pushing forward their work including through increased financing, broadening partnerships, and advocacy.”
The women leaders welcomed the dedicated agenda item under the UNFCCC addressing issues of gender and climate change and the 5-year enhanced Lima work program on gender and its gender action plan agreed at COP 25. “We hope to see strong efforts by all stakeholders to implement the activities included in the GAP,” they said.
They acknowledged parallel efforts to promote gender equality in climate change policies, programs and initiatives, including the UN Secretary General's initiative on Gender and Climate Change, launched at the Global Climate Action Summit 2019, and the Feminist Action for Climate Justice action coalition under the Generation Equality Forum.
“We encourage all countries yet to pledge action under these important initiatives to do so before the sixty-sixth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66) in March 2022. At CSW 66, we will work towards achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programs,” they added.
Read: At COP26, over 100 countries pledge to end deforestation
The leaders agreed on the importance of achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, notably Sustainable Development Goal 5 on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. “We agree that concrete actions are needed to improve women's and girls' participation and leadership in all climate actions,” they said.
The women leaders called all leaders - women and men - both in government and civil society - to commit to increased and sustained support for women and girls' climate change initiatives at the national and global levels in order to achieve sustainable progress towards meeting the challenges of the climate crisis.
The statement will remain open to further signatures from women leaders from across government, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, business and civil society till the 66th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women in March 2022.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu and Iceland Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir, among others, were present at the event.
BGMEA showcases RMG industry’s strides in sustainability in COP26
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has showcased RMG industry’s strides in sustainability in COP26.
The 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) began in Glasgow, Scotland on October 31.
A pavilion of Bangladesh was inaugurated in the official venue of COP26 on November 1.
BGMEA’s official delegation to the COP26 headed by its President Faruque Hassan attended the inaugural ceremony.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam, MP was present at the inaugural ceremony, said BGMEA on Tuesday.
The BGMEA delegation also included Vice President Miran Ali, Directors Asif Ashraf and Abdullah Hil Rakib, and Shams Mahmud, Managing Director of Shasha Denims Ltd.
One of the objectives of BGMEA was to showcase all the good works of the RMG sector on sustainability and highlight green revolutions and commitments.
Read: BGMEA sees the future in value-added, high-end apparel items
At COP26, over 100 countries pledge to end deforestation
More than 100 countries were set to pledge Tuesday to end deforestation, which scientists say is a major driver of climate change.
Britain hailed the commitment as the first big achievement of the U.N. climate conference in Glasgow. But campaigners say they need to see the detail — such promises have been made, and broken, before.
The U.K. government said it has received commitments from leaders representing more than 85% of the world’s forests to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030.
Read: Hasina at COP26, gets warm welcome from Guterres, Boris
More than $19 billion in public and private funds have been pledged toward the plan, which is backed by countries including Brazil, China, Colombia, Congo, Indonesia, Russia and the United States.
Forests are considered important ecosystems and an important way of absorbing carbon dioxide — the main greenhouse gas — from the atmosphere.
But the value of wood as a commodity and the growing demand for agricultural and pastoral land are leading to widespread and often illegal felling of forests, particularly in developing countries.
Campaign group Human Right Watch cautioned that similar agreements in the past have failed to be effective.
Luciana Tellez Chavez, an environmental researcher at the group, said strengthening Indigenous people’s rights would help prevent deforestation and should be part of the agreement.
Alison Hoare, a senior research fellow at political think tank Chatham House, said world leaders promised in 2014 to end deforestation by 2030, “but since then deforestation has accelerated across many countries.”
“This new pledge recognizes the range of actions needed to protect our forests, including finance, support for rural livelihoods, and strong trade policies,” she said. “For it to succeed, inclusive processes and equitable legal frameworks will be needed, and governments must work with civil society, businesses and indigenous peoples to agree, monitor and implement them.”
About 130 world leaders are in Glasgow for the COP26 summit, which host Britain says is the last realistic chance to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels — the goal the world set in Paris six years ago.
Read: COP26 begins with a mission to unite world
On Monday, the leaders heard stark warnings from officials and activists alike. Prime Minister Boris Johnson described global warming as “a doomsday device” strapped to humanity. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres told his colleagues that humans are “digging our own graves.” And Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, speaking for vulnerable island nations, added moral thunder, warning leaders not to “allow the path of greed and selfishness to sow the seeds of our common destruction.”
Climate activist Greta Thunberg told a rally outside the high-security climate venue that the talk inside was just “ blah blah blah" and would achieve little.
“Change is not going to come from inside there,” she told some of the thousands of protesters who have come to Glasgow to make their voices heard. "That is not leadership, this is leadership. This is what leadership looks like.”
COP26: India will reach net zero emissions by 2070, says PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday gave a five-pronged target for India and finally committed to a Net Zero emission target by 2070, joining the likes of the US, the UK and China, reports Business Standard.
“I am giving a panchamrit — five targets that India is committing to join the global fight for climate change — by 2030. Our non-fossil capacity will touch 500 Gw and 50 per cent of our energy needs will come from renewable energy sources. From now to 2030, the projected carbon emissions will reduce by 1 billion tonnes and our overall carbon intensity of the economy will see a 45 per cent reduction.”
In line with expectations from the UK and the US, he said India would be a Net Zero economy by 2070.
Net Zero is achieved when the amount of greenhouse gas produced is offset by the amount removed from the atmosphere. This entails no future investment in coal or fossil fuels and greening several industries and economies.
Read:How virtual galleries kept Indian art alive amid Covid
Modi also upped the renewable energy target of the country to 500 Gw by 2030. It was 450 Gw earlier. India’s current RE capacity stands at 175 Gw.
“Today India’s installed renewable capacity is fourth in the world. In the last seven years, our non-fossil fuel energy has seen 25 per cent growth and the share of green energy in the mix reached 40 per cent,” Modi said, adding that India’s national transporter, Indian Railways, had declared a Net Zero target year of 2030.
“This entails 60 million tonnes of emission reduction every year. Another 40 million tonne emissions reduction will come from our LED programme,” Modi said.
He spoke of several other initiatives of India, including the International Solar Alliance (ISA), and said India had joined the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
He asked the developed world to increase financing to meet the enhanced targets that India had declared.
“India has raised its ambition in setting its targets. They also need to raise ambitions in climate finance and tech transfer. The world cannot achieve newer targets with old goals of climate finance,” Modi said.
India is the only country to fulfil commitments made in Paris. India is putting climate change at the centre of its policies, Modi said.
"Whole world thinks is only one economy which has worked Paris agreement on letter and spirit and it is India," said the PM.
The US has declared Net zero by 2050, same as the UK. China has net zero target year 2060.
India has been long pressed by global leaders to declare a net zero target. From the US, John Kerry, special Presidential envoy for climate change, has long pressed India to declare a headline ‘Net Zero’ target. On his last visit to India, Kerry termed India a “red-hot investment destination” for the solar sector, saying the country has set an example for developing nations by reaching 100 Gw of renewable energy capacity.
Read: US returns antiquities to India in stolen art investigation
Speaking at the same event, Joe Biden, the US President said his government has proposed to quadruple the climate financing by the US by 2024 for adaptation efforts. He said the country will try to meet the $100 billion annual financing target of developed world to developing countries.
A day before, Bhupendra Yadav, union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said developed countries have not only failed to meet the $100 billion goal per year of support to developing countries.
Delivering the statement on behalf of the BASIC group of countries, comprising Brazil, South Africa, India and China at the UN Climate Change Conference underway at Glasgow, Yadav said, "In a context where developing countries, including BASIC countries, have massively stepped up their climate actions since 2009, it is unacceptable that there is still no matching ambition from developed countries on the enabling means of implementation on climate finance support."
Hasina at COP26, gets warm welcome from Guterres, Boris
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday welcomed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the COP26 in Glasgow.
Bangladesh Awami League shared the photos of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with the UN chief and the British Prime Minister on its verified Facebook page.
Photos of British Prime Minister Borish Jonson and UN chief giving elbow bumps with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina separately, as posted by Awami League web team on the verified page of the party, went viral on social media.
The UK is hosting the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow that will continue till November 12.
COP26 begins with a mission to unite world
The 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) began on Monday at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow with a mission to unite the world to tackle climate change and its adverse impacts.
The United Kingdom is hosting this year’s COP26 event where world leaders have gathered with the aim of securing global net zero carbon emissions by mid-century and keeping global warming below 1.5ºC.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is also the President of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), joined the event with other world leaders.
On her arrival at the programme venue, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed her.
READ: COP26 must deliver a better future for everyone
Hasina arrived in Scotland on Sunday (Oct 31) to attend the conference dubbed the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties. Her daughter Saima Wazed Hossain, Thematic Ambassador of CVF, is also accompanying her.
Hasina will deliver her speech after the inauguration ceremony of COP26.
The first COP meeting was held in Berlin, Germany in 1995, and was dubbed COP1.
At COPs, nations come together to assess global progress towards tackling climate change.
READ: PM arrives in Scotland to attend COP26
The COP26 climate summit comes six years after the Paris Agreement was signed by over 190 countries to limit the rise of global temperatures to well below 2C with a view of reaching 1.5C. According to the UN, global temperatures are currently set to rise to 2.7C.
Scientists are clear that emissions must halve by 2030 to keep the aims made in Paris within reach.