Bangladesh should focus on a self-dependent climate plan to fight climatic impacts, say CSOs

Civil society organisations (CSOs) have recommended government look forward with a self-dependent climate plan to fight climatic impact. 

The global pledge of $300 billion is very inadequate and will create odd competition among the developing countries where the country's position will be challenging following their readiness skill and negotiation prospects, reads a press statement by EquityBD today (5 December).

They made the remarks at a press conference titled "CoP 29 Outcome: Bangladesh should focus on self-depended climate planning" at Dhaka Reporters' Unity.

Representatives from CSOs like Md Shamsuddoha of Centre for Participatory Research & Development, Jahangir Hossen Masum of Coastal Development Partnership, Md Kawsar Rahaman and Motahar Hossen of Bangladesh Climate Journalist Forum, and Sharif Jamil of Water Keepers spoke at the event.

 The event was moderated by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of EquityBD, and the keynote address was delivered by Md Abul Hasan from the COAST Foundation. 

Delivering the keynote address, Md Abul Hasan said the negotiation ignored the MVCs' interests and demands especially removing the gap between mitigation and adaptation financing and inclusion of non-economic losses under Loss & Damage Financing (LDF).

"The agreement of $300 billion per year is far beyond the $1.3 trillion that we are expected and hardly connected with the fit for purpose for developing and climate vulnerable countries because of a lack of specific modalities and framework that we demanded in CoP29," he said.

He made a few action points for the government: Bangladesh should look forward without global support in fighting climatic impacts; the existing strategic climate plan needs a review and preparation with its own resources mobilisation, following participatory and demand-driven locally; government should not go for further ambitious review of National Determined Contribution in upcoming global stock-take following the CoP-30 in 2025. 

Shamsuddoha said the CoP29 totally ignored the 1.5-degree temperature goal by removing the transition away from fossil fuel and finally out from the Paris Agreement shifting all responsibilities to the developing countries.

Kawasr Rahaman criticised the developed countries for trapping "us in the name of trillion-dollar climate financing but will come if we allow the private sector and MDBs [Multilateral Banks] in the process. This is a profiteering approach, and we must unify against this ill motive by creating pressure on developed countries to ensure trillion-dollar grant financing as needed for MVCs".

Jahangir Hossen opined the government's role was not as innovative in the changing context where it could ensure civil society participation to enhance negotiation capacity. Rezaul Karim said the existing climate fight plans are mostly consultancy-based and loan-dependent.  "That is dangerous for our future. The Delta Plan 2030 is one of the examples which is need to review based on our own knowledge and resources."