COP29: Japan to work on Bangladesh’s waste management

Bangladesh and Japan will sign a memorandum of understanding on waste management and carbon credits.

A bilateral meeting was held between Syeda Rizwana Hasan, a leading environmentalist and advisor in Bangladesh’s Interim Government, in charge of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MOEFCC), Bangladesh and the Ministry of Water Resources (MOWR), Bangladesh, and Japanese Environment Minister Keichiro Asao at the Japanese Representative Office at COP29 in Azerbaijan.

The meeting focused on signing a memorandum of understanding for waste management, carbon crediting, and climate resilience initiatives, highlighting mutual cooperation.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan stated at the meeting that waste management is a major issue in Bangladesh, contributing to 10% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Dhaka generates 6,000 tons of waste daily, with 73% ending up untreated in landfills, leading to increased methane emissions. For this, he sought Japan’s assistance in setting up integrated recycling centers, waste-to-energy plants and sanitary landfills.

The meeting highlighted the importance of the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM), which is an effective tool in promoting low-carbon technologies.

Since the 2013 agreement, four JCM projects, including the South-West Transmission Grid Expansion Project, have been implemented in Bangladesh.

These projects are being implemented with financial and technical assistance from Japan and the Asian Development Bank.

Japan’s Environment Minister Keichiro Asao said, “Japan is committed to addressing Bangladesh’s environmental challenges through innovation and cooperation.

We look forward to expanding cooperation to meet Bangladesh’s NDC targets and are also interested in working in new areas.”