Environmentalists, researchers and energy experts recentlyurged the government to accelerate investment and policy support for renewable energy, warning that Bangladesh must act swiftly to reduce its heavy dependence on imported fuel amid growing global uncertainties.
Speaking at a roundtable discussion in the capital, the experts said the country’s import-dependent energy system has become increasingly vulnerable, particularly in the context of geopolitical instability in the Middle East that continues to affect global fuel supply and prices.
They noted that renewable energy technologies have become significantly more affordable in recent years, with the cost of solar equipment and battery storage falling by nearly half.
With effective planning and timely implementation, the government’s target of producing 40,000 megawatts (MW) of renewable electricity by 2040 could potentially be achieved by 2030, they said.
The discussion was organised by GreenWatch—an online portal and monthly magazine—at the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka.
Speakers highlighted that around 86 percent of Bangladesh’s electricity consumption currently depends on fossil fuels, a major contributor to the country’s worsening air pollution.
