British politician Alok Sharma, set to preside over COP26, visited Bangladesh recently and discussed shared priorities with Bangladesh, which he said remains a "crucial" partner on the road to COP26. He discussed the needs of countries most vulnerable to climate change, to ensure they are equipped to deal with its current and damaging effects ahead of COP26. The COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference, hosted by the UK in partnership with Italy, will take place from October 31, 2021 in the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow, UK. Also read: Sundarbans plays role as a carbon sink: Alok Sharma The COP26 President-Designate also welcomed strong climate commitments from Bangladesh during his visit. “The next decade will be make, or break, for our planet, and effective global collaboration will be vital to tackling the pressing challenges the world faces. So I am delighted to have witnessed UK-Bangladeshi climate partnership in action, and heard such positive ambition from my Bangladeshi friends," he said. “I am inspired by the innovative work I have seen here to address some of the worst effects of climate change, and hope that Bangladesh will continue to lead by example ahead of COP26 which is our best hope of building a brighter future.” The COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma also visited Sundarbans on June 3 this year. He visited the WildTeam Conservation Biology Centre (WCBC) in the Sundarbans. The British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Robert Chatterton Dickson, and his other colleagues from the UK accompanied them. Also read: COP26 outcomes crucial for climate-vulnerable countries like Bangladesh' During his visit he came to know about WildTeam’s pioneering work with the Forest Department in Tiger Conservation through engaging the local communities. The tiger population has rebounded slightly - at least the decline has been halted. The number rose to 114 in 2018, up from 106 recorded in 2015. Mr Sharma met with the Village Tiger Response Team (VTRT) members, and the TigerScouts. In 2007 WildTeam formed the VTRT by engaging the communities for managing human-tiger conflict. WildTeam also formed BaghBandhus (tiger ambassadors) to improve community engagement and raise awareness within the community. WildTeam, with the support from USAID's Bagh Activity, started Sundarbans Education Centres in five schools around the Sundarbans. With their support TigerScouts were formed with secondary school students from the Sundarbans villages, to educate school children to build an environment friendly future generation. Mr Sharma, along with the TigerScouts, planted a 'sundari' sapling at WCBC's 'mini Sundarbans'. It is believed that Sundarbans has been named after the 'sundari' (Heritiera fomes) tree that propagates through the forest. The British High Commissioner also planted a sapling. WildTeam built WCBC with the support of IUCN-KfW to engage the communities to manage the natural resources in a sustainable way. Due to increasing salinity, there is an acute shortage of drinking water in the area. WildTeam, with the support from a philanthropist, built a desalination plant at WCBC premises. The VIP guest visited the plant, and witnessed how local people left containers to collect sweet water from this plant. During his visit to Bangladesh Mr Sharma met Prime Minister  Sheikh Hasina, and other government ministers, and youths to discuss climate issues.  A joint statement on UK-Bangladesh climate action was signed, which is a foundation for a long-term climate partnership. It is understood that the climate talks will be the biggest international summit the UK has ever hosted, bringing together over 30,000 delegates including heads of state, climate experts and campaigners to agree coordinated action to tackle climate change. The COP26 president ended his 2-day Bangladesh visit by saying: “The next decade will be make, or break, for our planet, and effective global collaboration will be vital to tackling the pressing challenges the world faces. So I am delighted to have witnessed UK-Bangladeshi climate partnership in action, and heard such positive ambition from my Bangladeshi friends.”

COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma arrived here on Wednesday morning on a two-day visit to to strengthen support for UK COP26 climate priorities ahead of hosting the crucial UN climate change summit in Glasgow this November. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam received Sharma at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 09.20am upon his arrival. He will hold a meeting with Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at 12:30pm at Foreign Service Academy. Sharma is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganobhaban at 11:30am. He will also attend "UK- Bangladesh Climate Partnership Roundtable" at 2pm at Foreign Service Academy before holding a joint briefing at 3pm. During his engagements in Dhaka, Sharma will discuss shared priorities with Bangladesh which remains a "crucial" partner on the road to COP26. Also read: COP26 President-Designate Sharma due Wednesday to discuss climate issues He will discuss the needs of countries most vulnerable to climate change, to ensure they are equipped to deal with its current and damaging effects ahead of COP26. Preventing deforestation while ensuring development and trade is sustainable will also be high on the agenda, as COP26 looks to highlight the protection of nature and biodiversity as a key tool in limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C. With less than six months to go before COP26, he will meet leaders from government, business and civil society to press his personal priority for a move to global clean power, critical to limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C. Read:BUILD Chairperson meets new FBCCI president Bangladesh is among the fast growing economies with significant renewable energy potential, said the UK government. The visit will highlight their growing leadership and how the UK Presidency will work with countries to support workers and communities to make the transition to good green jobs. It builds on the recent Climate and Environment Ministerial meeting where, under the UK’s leadership, G7 nations agreed to end all new direct government support for international coal power, and to increase support for clean energy alternatives like solar and wind. G7 nations also agreed to work to increase the quantity of finance for climate action in order to meet the $100bn per annum target to support developing countries. Ahead of his visit, Sharma said last week, the G7 made history with a major step towards consigning coal to history and moving to a decarbonised power system but tackling the climate crisis must be a global effort, which leaves no one behind. Read:Bloomberg writer pours his heart out while praising Bangladesh’s progress "COP26 is our best chance of safeguarding our planet for our children, building a brighter future with greener jobs and cleaner air, and keeping the 1.5C target alive," he said.    

COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma arrives here on Wednesday morning to discuss shared priorities with Bangladesh which remains a "crucial" partner on the road to COP26. He will meet Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday and attend a joint briefing at 3pm, a senior official told UNB on Tuesday.  Read:BUILD Chairperson meets new FBCCI president Alok Sharma is also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to discuss climate issues during his two-day visit.  His plan is to strengthen support for UK COP26 climate priorities ahead of hosting the crucial UN climate change summit in Glasgow this November. He will discuss the needs of countries most vulnerable to climate change, to ensure they are equipped to deal with its current and damaging effects ahead of COP26. Read:Bloomberg writer pours his heart out while praising Bangladesh’s progress Preventing deforestation whilst ensuring development and trade is sustainable will also be high on the agenda, as COP26 looks to highlight the protection of nature and biodiversity as a key tool in limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C. With less than six months to go before COP26, he will meet leaders from government, business and civil society to press his personal priority for a move to global clean power, critical to limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C.  

COP26 President-designate Alok Sharma will visit Bangladesh this week to discuss shared priorities as Bangladesh is considered one of the "crucial" partners on the road to COP26. He will also travel to Viet Nam and Indonesia as part of his South East Asia and South Asia tour to strengthen support for UK COP26 climate priorities ahead of hosting the key UN climate change summit in Glasgow this November. With less than six months to go before COP26, he will meet with leaders from government, business and civil society to press his personal priority for a move to global clean power, critical to limiting global temperature rise to 1.5C. Viet Nam, Indonesia and Bangladesh are fast-growing economies with significant renewable energy potential, said the UK government announcing his tri-nation visit. The visit will highlight their growing leadership and how the UK Presidency will work with countries to support workers and communities to make the transition to good green jobs. It builds on the recent Climate and Environment Ministerial meeting where, under the UK’s leadership, G7 nations agreed to end all new direct government support for international coal power, and to increase support for clean energy alternatives like solar and wind.