Climate activists call for stopping investment in LNG
Youth climate activists at an event marking the global climate strikes 2023 have called upon the government and investors to stop financing harmful fossil fuels, especially Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), in a bid to ensure a climate and energy-secure Bangladesh in the future.
The campaigners also called for reducing dependence on LNG imports and significant expansion of renewable energy and implementation of climate justice goals.
They came up with the demand at a programme held in Chowfaldandi Union of Cox's Bazar Sadar, jointly organised by the Bangladesh chapter of "Fridays For Future", a youth-led movement backed by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, and YouthNet for Climate Justice, on Thursday.
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More than 200 young climate activists from 26 districts of the country took part in the event and expressed solidarity with the goals of global climate strike 2023.
At the programme, the climate activists urged the authorities to stop projects that are harmful to the environment and invest in sustainable projects instead of investing in fossil fuels.
Criticising developed countries and institutions for continuously making "false promises" to reduce carbon emissions in combating climate change, the activists said that the world is going through a critical time due to the catastrophic effects of climate change, which has already been declared by the United Nations as a "red alert" for the planet.
The campaigners also underscored the need for ensuring a significant increase in the proportion of renewable energy in the government's upcoming power master plan to ensure Bangladesh's energy security.
Fahim Taj Nohad, Cox's Bazar district coordinator of YouthNet for Climate Justice, said, "We don't need to wait until tomorrow to realise how important it is to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Now is the time to act to combat the damage caused by climate disasters. We must significantly increase investment in renewable energy".
Having said that the climate and energy crisis is not just a disaster, it is also a "big warning message", he added that proper compensation should be collected from polluting countries.
He also called for justice for climate-vulnerable regions, from industrialised countries, and stressed the importance of speedy implementation of strategies to prioritise sufficient financial funds to compensate for the losses caused by climate change.
