Staff Correspondent

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo, MP, on Tuesday called for coordinated efforts across all sectors to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He made the remarks on Tuesday afternoon while speaking at a national conference titled "Conference on Navigating Five Year Strategic Framework for Achieving SDGs: Policy, Partnership and Priorities," held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center in the capital.

The minister noted that the SDGs are not the mandate of a single ministry or institution, but rather a national development framework that integrates economic growth, poverty reduction, social inclusion, environmental protection, and climate resilience. He stressed that SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land) are particularly crucial for a climate-vulnerable country like Bangladesh.

Minister Mintoo suggested evaluating each SDG indicator and categorizing them into three tiers: On Track, At Risk, and Critical. Indicators lagging behind the 2030 targets under current trends should be identified as National SDG Priority Targets requiring targeted action plans, ensuring maximum impact with limited resources.

Emphasizing policy coherence, he stated that formulating new policies alone is insufficient; existing policies, plans, budgets, and development programs must be aligned toward unified national outcomes. Citing air pollution as an example, he explained that environmental challenges cannot be solved solely by his ministry's policies without coordinated actions across transport, industry, energy, construction, waste management, urban planning, public health, and research.

Regarding SDG financing, the minister urged expanding beyond the government budget by effectively utilizing green finance, climate finance, blended finance, private investment, and development partner financing. He added that environmental sustainability should be viewed as an investment opportunity rather than an expense.

Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Iqbal Hasan Mahmud attended the conference as the chief guest.

Chaired by National Professor Dr. Mahbub Ullah, the event featured Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister ABM Abdus Sattar as a special guest. Panelists included BUET Professor Dr. Ijaz Hossain, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) Director General Dr. AK Enamul Haque, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Executive Director Dr. Fahmida Khatun, and Planning Commission Member Dr. Niamat Ullah Bhuiyan.