Talks with Lu focused on advancing bilateral ties without dwelling on past issues: Saber
“The discussions primarily centred on strategies to tackle the impacts of climate change, environmental conservation, and forestry. We also discussed the formation of long term action plans spanning three to five years,” the minister said.
Following a meeting with visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu today (15 May), Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury said the discussions explored avenues to bolster the relationship between Bangladesh and the United States.
Briefing reporters after the meeting at the Secretariat, Saber Hossain said the dialogue revolved around advancing the existing bilateral ties without dwelling on past issues.
"The discussions primarily centred on strategies to tackle the impacts of climate change, environmental conservation, and forestry. We also discussed the formation of long term action plans spanning three to five years," the minister said.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Regarding climate finance, Saber Hossain asserted that the role of the Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) in addressing the effects of climate change is now a crucial issue.
"In the past, billions of dollars were needed to combat the effects of climate change. Now it has soared to a trillion-dollar range. Therefore, the Bangladesh government is putting more emphasis on research," he said.
Underscoring the shared priority of addressing climate change, both Saber Hossain and Donald Lu pledged to continue the collaboration, with a particular emphasis on identifying sectors requiring assistance.
"Climate change is a priority for both the countries. How to deal with it and the strategy to combat it was discussed today. However, we will sit again to determine the sectors that need help," Saber said.
According to the minister, Donald Lu stressed the importance of ensuring that future investment in the environment and climate initiative benefit the marginalised people.
Emphasising the need for capacity building, Saber said, "Bangladesh seeks to engage not only in financial support but also in capacity building endeavours. We are keen on advancing research and innovation in both manpower and technology."
Saber also proposed utilising NASA's climate satellite for real-time data collection, which will remove the need for deploying additional satellites, thus reducing costs and enhancing efficiency.
