Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has left for Glasgow to join the 2021 United Nations climate change conference, COP26, a crucial summit for Bangladesh, one of the countries that are most vulnerable to the effects of global warming, bdnews24.com reports.
She will push for setting up Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs, to keep the rate of planetary warming down to 1.5 degrees Celsius, a $100 billion climate fund pledged by the developed nations, and cooperation to increase the use of renewable energy.
Besides representing Bangladesh, the prime minister will also lead the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), a global partnership of 48 countries that are disproportionately affected by the consequences of global warming.
Hasina is also scheduled to travel to France and join the 75th anniversary of UNESCO and the award ceremony of ‘Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Prize for the Creative Economy'.
The prime minister and her entourage left Dhaka at 9:27 am on a Biman Bangladesh flight on Sunday, said Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim. They are scheduled to reach Prestwick Airport in Glasgow at 2.45 pm local time.
The COP26 conference will be held in Glasgow from Oct 31 to Nov 12. Hasina will address the summit on the first day before joining talks at different levels.
After speaking at the summit, Hasina will attend a joint meeting of CVF and Commonwealth as the chief guest on Nov 1.
She will also join a meeting on action and solidarity in the ‘critical decade’ at the invitation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson the same day.
The prime minister will join a meeting on women and climate on Nov 2. She will also address Scottish MPs calling for “climate prosperity” and have a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Hasina will preside over the CVF-COP26 Leaders Dialogue during the visit. Besides the CVF countries, leaders of the UK and other countries will join the dialogue.
She is expected to meet Britain’s Prince Charles and Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Glasgow. Also, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation founder Bill Gates is scheduled to meet the prime minister on Nov 1. Later, Hasina is likely to join a COP 26 VVIP reception.
Hasina will join a virtual civil reception organised by the Bangladeshi community in Scotland.
Following a two-week trip, Hasina will leave Paris on Nov 13 and arrive back in Dhaka on Nov 14.
