Bangladesh’s climate diplomacy needs to move beyond climate finance

Reducing climate variability has been a major aim in Bangladesh’s fight against the climate crisis. Photo: Reuters

Bangladesh is regarded as one of the world's most climate-vulnerable countries. Though its contribution to global warming is less than 0.47% of global emissions, the country is affected by all of climate change's adverse effects. 

Several stakeholders, including individuals, families, communities, ethnic groups, biological species, and local governments, face detrimental consequences. The most vulnerable cohort can be observed in the coastal zone of Bangladesh, facing a series of natural disasters. 

Reducing climate vulnerability has been a major aim in Bangladesh's fight against the climate crisis. A holistic approach to solving the issues has been added to the history of climate diplomacy. 

The recent development in the narrative of climate diplomacy is the shift from a whole-of-government approach to a whole-of-society approach in fostering climate-related policies, including multiple entities. The whole-of-government strategy requires the involvement of ministries and departments and other branches such as local government, parliament, security and military institutions, and the court. 

The corporate sector, media, academia, civil society, and professional groups such as lawyers, doctors, planners, and others are also part of the whole-of-society approach. This particular transition has been reflected in several master plans and policies taken by the government, such as the Eighth Five-Year Plan, the Perspective Plan 2041, the Delta Plan 2100, etc. 

But these are not enough if the pragmatic implication is concerned. Climate diplomacy calls for collaborative frameworks beyond national borders and on a much broader global scale, an area of struggle for Bangladesh. 

Over the past few decades, the Kyoto Protocol and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have been essential to the global climate change regime. Instead of concentrating on a single stakeholder, the narrative of "common concern" has been promoted to resolve global climate concerns collectively. 

However, the notion of a common goal was mostly misinterpreted due to the lack of understanding between the developed and developing nations. 

Nevertheless, Bangladesh started focusing on the climate finance spectrum rigorously. The government of Bangladesh established the Economic Research Division under the Ministry of Finance as the Nationally Designated Authority (NDA) as the GCF (Green Climate Fund) focal point, which was a promising development for the initiative. Bangladesh worked on six initiatives, mostly related to mitigation and adaptation, according to the recent report of GCF. 

To establish an appropriate knowledge-sharing platform for the use of the GCF mechanism, a joint collaborative workshop was also planned. Regarding the Paris Agreement, Bangladesh effectively merged the G77 and the Climate Vulnerable Forum, serving as the forum's head for two years. 

The Global Commission on Adaptation created a GCA Regional Centre for South Asia in Bangladesh to appreciate the country's innovative role in addressing climate change. The center will facilitate the exchange of knowledge, experience, and best practices on adaptation among eight South Asian countries, accelerating climate adaptation activities.

In FY 2009-10, the government of Bangladesh established the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF) using its own funds, becoming a pioneer among developing countries. So far, the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust (BCCT) has conducted around 800 projects with a total investment of approximately $480 million to implement the BCCSAP strategic activities that primarily focus on adaptation, mitigation, and climate change research.

Bangladesh can utilise resources from various bilateral and international funds, including the Adaptation Fund (AF), the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and other international financial resources, however little they are in comparison to what we need. 

Human-induced climate change summons the narrative of loss and damage, where the role of negotiator is very significant. There is no denying the necessity for a skilled pool of future negotiators with various experiences from the corporate world, academia, civic society, non-governmental organisations, and government offices. It has been argued by several policymakers to introduce Bangladesh as a climate-resilient country rather than a climate-vulnerable one. 

Bangladesh is putting a lot of effort into addressing concerns connected to adaptation and mitigation of the climate. However, the majority of the story revolves around climate finance. The main objective behind promoting the policies had been evaluating foreign funds. 

It is necessary to change the emphasis to include media, academic and policy research facilities, and a platform for knowledge dissemination. Youth can be a valuable addition to the paradigm since they can speak out for the concerns of local climate sufferers. Additionally, they can combine several societal activities to integrate the general public. 

Bangladesh's diplomatic efforts demonstrate the local policy frameworks with a slight inclination towards regional activism. The international arena still demands sustainable policy for the future generation from Bangladesh.  The country has the potential to be a strong character in the growing story of climate diplomacy as the world strives toward a better future. 

MD Shiyan Sadik is a Lecturer at the Department of Environmental Science and Management at North South University. 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.