Bangladesh aims to lead vulnerable nations at COP31: Dr Saimum Parvez
Staff Correspondent
Bangladesh aims to lead climate-vulnerable countries at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) to establish their rights and demand grant-based climate financing over loans, said Dr Saimum Parvez, special assistant to the prime minister on environment, forest, and climate change.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday at Bangladesh Pavilion during the COP31 summit in Antalya, Turkey, Dr Parvez, who is also the deputy head of the Bangladesh delegation, emphasized that despite contributing minimally to global carbon emissions, Bangladesh faces severe losses due to climate change.
"Climate financing must be grant-based rather than debt. Imposing an additional debt burden on countries not responsible for climate change is fundamentally unjust," he said, adding that Bangladesh is mobilizing joint demands via platforms like the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) and the LDC Group.
Key priorities for Bangladesh at COP31 include securing a "just energy transition"—shifting from fossil fuels to renewables while safeguarding jobs—and scaling up funds for adaptation, mitigation, and loss and damage.
Dr Parvez outlined major domestic initiatives, including plans to plant 250 million trees and excavate or re-excavate 20,000 kilometers of canals over the next five years, alongside expanding carbon market frameworks and promoting biodegradable alternatives like jute internationally.
