Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has proposed to host a CVF-COP26 joint event on the sideline of the upcoming COP26 to strengthen climate cooperation between the President of COP-26 and the most climate-vulnerable countries including Bangladesh.
Momen made the proposal while holding a bilateral talk with COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma at 9 Downing Street in London on Thursday, according to a press release issued on Friday morning.
During the meeting, the foreign minister highlighted Bangladesh's important role in the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) under the chairmanship of visionary leader Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina while discussing the joint event targeting the COP26 to be held in Glasgow in early November, reports BSS.
The minister also proposed to expand bilateral climate relations between the UK and Bangladesh especially in transferring green technology, promoting green investment, and supporting climate mitigation projects such as building embankments to protect people from sea-level rise and river erosion.
The foreign minister briefed Sharma on the COP26 agenda for Bangladesh focusing particularly on loss and damage and the proposed CVF-COP26 Leaders’ Summit under Bangladesh Presidency.
Thanking the COP-26 president-designate for visiting Bangladesh last June, Momen also congratulated him on organising the July COP26 Ministerial successfully.
Sharma assured Bangladesh of the UK's continued support for its climate initiatives covering different areas, including collaboration to promote green financing and investment, and technology transfer to build a clean and green future.
Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK and Ireland Saida Muna Tasneem accompanied Dr Momen to the talk along with other senior members of the Minister’s delegation.
Later, Momen delivered a climate talk titled "Forging a CVF-COP26 Climate Solidarity" at the UK's foremost think tank Chatham House, calling for global solidarity and political commitment to combat climate challenges.
The foreign minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been pursuing a low carbon development path although Bangladesh is a minimal emitter.
He highlighted Bangladesh’s various initiatives including the “Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan Decade 2030” and Bangladesh’s self-financed USD 450 million Climate Change Trust Fund to adapt to the adverse effects of global warming.
Momen said the forcefully displaced Rohingyas posed a grave threat to the environment in southeastern Bangladesh and called for UK’s support in repatriating them to their own country Myanmar.
High Commissioner Tasneem gave a welcome speech at the dialogue, organised jointly by Bangladesh High Commission and Chatham House.
The talk was also attended by Maldives Speaker and former President and CVF Thematic Ambassador for Ambition Mohamed Nasheed along with a number of CVF Ambassadors and High Commissioners and climate experts.
Chatham House Chair Bernice Lee moderated the talk where several British and British-Bangladeshis joined in a question-and-answer session with the Bangladesh foreign minister.
