Public-private financing must be ensured to address climate finance gap: Environment Advisor of Bangladesh
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, has stressed the need for coordination between local, national, bilateral and multilateral financial institutions and development partners to ensure climate finance.
At the World Climate Conference (COP-29), she stated that effective resource coordination is essential for closing the financing gap and achieving development goals, during her speech at the event ‘Possibilities of Establishing an NGO-MFI Resource Pool in Bangladesh.’
Later, in another session of COP-29 titled ‘Climate Crisis: Women and Water Management in Bangladesh’, Syeda Rizwana Hasan highlighted the issue of ensuring women’s rights in the context of climate justice.
She said that as one of the most vulnerable countries in the world, we need to advocate for a change not only in policy stance but also in the concept of justice. Environmental and human justice are inextricably linked.
She called for documenting women’s climate struggles, actively engaging with policymakers, and creating gender-sensitive laws and policies.
She also said that women are not just victims of climate change—they are agents of change. It is important to listen to their voices, value their perspectives, and recognize their leadership at the negotiating table.
At COP29, she spoke about the private sector’s role in tackling the climate finance gap during the event ‘Private Sector Climate Finance: Challenges and opportunities.’
Saida Rizwana Hassan attended a meeting with the European Commission’s Director-General for Climate Action at the Bangladesh Pavilion. During the meeting, she reiterated Bangladesh’s commitment to strengthening global partnerships to increase climate resilience.
