Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the Ministry of Water Resources, has urged developed nations to honour their climate finance commitments, warning that the survival of climate-vulnerable countries like Bangladesh depends on it.
“The global commitments on climate finance must be fulfilled. If developed countries fail to enhance their contributions to climate action, the survival of climate-vulnerable nations like ours will be at stake,” she said, calling for Bangladesh to adopt a stronger political stance on climate justice.
Rizwana made the comments while speaking as the chief guest at an event titled “People-led Policy: Bangladesh Position at COP30” held on Tuesday at the Department of Environment auditorium in Agargaon, Dhaka, according to a press release.
The event saw the launch of a collective Civil Society Organizations (CSO) Position Paper for Bangladesh ahead of the upcoming COP30 in Belém, Brazil.
The paper outlines the key demands and strategic priorities of grassroots communities that will be presented at the global climate conference.
Welcoming the CSO initiative, Rizwana emphasised the importance of a unified national voice in global climate diplomacy.
“The losses caused by climate change cannot be compensated merely with money. No amount of finance can restore our eroded rivers, lost biodiversity, or human security,” she said.
She added: “Environmental and climate risks must be placed at the centre of all development planning.”
She further warned that without embedding climate justice in national development planning, future generations will face a grim and unsustainable reality.
Developed through sub-national consultations, the Bangladesh Position Paper represents the voices of communities from the country’s most climate-affected regions. It was jointly prepared by 35 national and international organizations, with climate justice as its core principle.
During the opening discussion, speakers highlighted the urgent need to operationalise the Loss and Damage Fund, ensuring direct access for women, children, and marginalized groups without bureaucratic hurdles.
They also urged the recognition of non-economic losses—such as cultural heritage, natural resources, and public health—alongside economic damages.
Speakers further stressed that developed countries must uphold their emission reduction commitments, ensure fairness in energy transition, and integrate gender equality and youth leadership into climate decision-making.
They also echoed global calls for the inclusion of the Belém Action Mechanism for a Global Just Transition (BAM) within the UN climate framework.
Farah Kabir, country director of ActionAid Bangladesh, said the position paper aims to elevate the voices of Bangladesh’s most climate-affected communities in global negotiations.
“Women and children in marginalized communities bear the heaviest burden of the climate crisis. Gender equality and women’s empowerment must be central to all climate policies,” she said, adding that youth leadership and social inclusion must also be prioritised.
Dr S M Munjurul Hannan Khan, executive director of Nature Conservation Management (NACOM), highlighted the potential of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement in enhancing climate finance.
“Article 6 can serve as a powerful mechanism for financing, technology transfer, and capacity building,” he said, noting that carbon markets can help strengthen Bangladesh’s position in global climate finance.
The session was chaired by Dr Md Sohrab Ali, Additional Director General of the Department of Environment, with Shawkat Ali Mirza, Director of the Department of Environment, as the special guest. Both appreciated the CSO-led initiative as an important step towards aligning civil society and government efforts in climate governance.
Key presentations were delivered by Roufa Khanum, assistant director at the Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3ER), Brac University; Abul Kalam Azad, Just Energy Transition manager at ActionAid Bangladesh; M Mofazzal Hossain, research associate at Change Initiative; Afsari Begum, program manager at Concern Worldwide and Sadia Akter, associate trainer.
The event was attended by government officials, development partners, researchers, young climate activists and journalists.