Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Wednesday said Bangladesh uses the coal-based technology that emits nearly zero carbon and other greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere.
"You can say (it's) carbon free. The coal (technology) we're using in Matarbari power plant is also almost carbon free," he said.
He was briefing newsmen ahead of the V20 Climate Vulnerable Finance Summit slated to be held virtually today (Thursday).
Heads of state/government, G20 and major international financial institutions, including the secretary general of the United Nations will attend the summit to be opened by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the current chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF).
Presently, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bhutan, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Kiribati, Madagascar, Maldives, Nepal, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Vietnam are the members of this climate vulnerable bloc.
Replying to a question Mr Kamal said Bangladesh needed energy to take forward its development goals.
"They (rich nations) will create emission consistently and if we do not generate power, how we will (meet demand)," he questioned.
He said Bangladesh cannot go for solar in a larger volume because of lack of land. "…to produce solar, you need huge land. You don't have that much amount of land."
Bangladesh recently scraped 10 coal-fired power plants as they failed to make progress and what the state minister for power said was "in the face of environmental concerns".
Asked whether there was any lacking in the plans for setting up of power plants, the minister answered in the negative.
He said Bangladesh being not a big emitter is spending from its own coffer for adaptation and mitigation measures on the impacts of climate change.
"We are spending money for adaptation and mitigation no matter what we get money from outside or not," he said.
Mr Kamal said that since 2010, the government has been spending over US$2.0 million annually mostly for climate adaptation programmes.
In the current budget, the government also kept $2.9 billion, most of which will go for adaptation, he said.
He said the richer nations are emitting huge quantity of carbon and putting the life at poor and vulnerable economies under threat.
The minister said countries which emit huge carbon, uses fossil fuel to generate electricity, and does not use renewable energy, are responsible for the climate change.
These polluters have only 5.0 per cent of population of the world, but they emit 22 per cent carbon.
In the Paris agreement, he said, the richer countries pledged to come forward with $100 billion per year which will be spent for adaptation and partly for mitigation in vulnerable countries, but they did not.
"The governments and multilateral organisations must seize every opportunity to save the planet and strengthen protection for the most vulnerable communities," said Mr Kamal, also the chair of V20.
"This summit will provide the blueprint for a concerted economic and financial response that will truly bring deliverance for the vulnerable people and economies around the world with speed and at scale," he added.
Special envoy of the CVF presidency of Bangladesh Abul Kalam Azad said the V20 finance summit will raise specific voice and specific demands like how much money is going to be contributed by which countries in next five years.
