Countries’ initiatives are still insufficient to protect the world’s population in the long run: Information Minister Bangladesh
Hassan Mahmud, Minister of Information and Broadcasting (Bangladesh) and Joint General Secretary of the Bangladesh Awami League said, “The steps we human beings and states have taken so far to save the people of the world are not enough to save the people in the long run.”
He noted that developed countries need to step up, especially those emitting the lion’s share of greenhouse gases.
He spoke as the chief guest at a seminar on ‘COP 26: Achieving and prospects’ organized by Bangladesh Climate Change Journalists Forum (BCJF) and Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh (IDEB) at the Diploma Engineers Institution, Kakrail, Dhaka.
Habibun Nahar, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Bangladesh, and Mohammad Hossain, Director General, Power Cell, spoke as special guests at the seminar, chaired by AKMA Hamid, President, Institution of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh (IDEB).
Regarding the World Climate Conference COP-26 assessment, the information minister said, “We cannot call the COP-26 conference a success but a failure. We had many expectations before the COP meeting, but not all expectations get met.
“The good side of COP 26 is that there is a consensus on a few issues. For example, 141 countries have agreed to increase forestry and reduce energy production from coal. But the steps that states have taken are not enough to make people in the world risk-free.”
Mentioning that the steps taken by Bangladesh under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in this regard have shown the way to many countries of the world, Hasan Mahmud said, “We are innocent victims of climate change.
“Because we are not responsible for climate change in any way. Our per capita greenhouse gas emissions are negligible compared to developed countries. Nevertheless, now, Bangladesh has become a developing country. ‘
“Our Prime Minister is the Chairperson of the Climate Vulnerable Forum. Despite not having any obligation on Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already announced that by 2041, 40 percent of our energy production will be in green technology. This is a very ambitious plan.”
“No one told us to do this, the Prime Minister made this announcement on her own initiative and by 2050 we have a dream to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions to zero.”
Hassan Mahmoud added, “When the United States withdraws from the Paris Agreement, it must be understood that the United States has failed to understand the risks of climate change.”
“It was unfortunate that the United States came out of the Paris Agreement though they returned. It is also unfortunate that the profiteering group does not allow the oil demand to reach the world’s people despite having green technology. ‘
