Staff Correspondent

State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Sheikh Faridul Islam MP emphasized on Wednesday  that safeguarding the environment and addressing the adverse impacts of climate change are core priorities of the government.

He highlighted ongoing initiatives to foster climate-resilient development, including the expansion of renewable energy, eco-friendly urban management, sustainable waste utilization, and the conservation of natural resources.

The State Minister made these remarks as chief guest at a pre-COP31 international online seminar titled "The Road to Anatolia: Climate Finance and NDC 3.0," jointly organized by the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust (BCCT) and the UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Development, Green Skills and Climate Actions.

"To mitigate urban air pollution, the government is promoting electric vehicles, curbing the depletion of fertile topsoil, strictly enforcing anti-hill-cutting regulations, and expanding solar and wind power generation," State Minister Sheikh Faridul Islam said. He stressed that securing adequate international climate finance is crucial for climate-vulnerable developing nations like Bangladesh to implement National Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0), calling on development partners, multilateral financial institutions, and the private sector to scale up support.

Speaking as special guest, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr. Md. Saifum Parvez noted that the government is modernizing BCCT operations and diversifying climate finance channels across public, private, and international domain projects.

BCCT Managing Director Kazi Raonakul Islam delivered the opening address, underscoring the necessity of turning NDC 3.0 priorities into bankable, investment-ready projects despite Bangladesh contributing negligibly to global greenhouse gas emissions.

Moderated by Prof. Dr. Mohammad Nurul Muneer of Oxford University, the international webinar featured contributions from global experts, including Indonesian Deputy Minister Dr. Leonardo A. A. Teguh Sambodo, WHO Director Dr. Maria Neira, Prof. Olav Muurlink, Dr. Elif Kaya, Umay Yilmaz, and Dr. Clinton Mawanda.