As the climate summit (COP30) at Belem, Brazil entered a crucial second week of negotiations the rich nations must fulfill their responsibilities to the poor nations which are most vulnerable to climate change. Bangladesh is one of them. With a history of cyclones, floods, drought, climate-induced losses, debt pressures and frequent disasters Bangladesh has urged the rich nations to come forward with the promised financing for adaptation. Bangladesh delegates at the summit have warned against any delay in arriving at an agreement on climate finance, particularly on whether Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement should be taken up as a dedicated agenda item.
According to report published in The Business Standard Article 9.1 obligates developed countries to provide financial resources to developing nations for both mitigation and adaptation efforts.
The report quoted Navid Shafiullah, additional secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Deputy Head of Bangladesh's delegation, as telling a media briefing in Belem that the lack of progress is causing growing frustration among developing countries.
"Parties have not reached consensus on even placing Article 9.1 as a standalone agenda item," he said, describing the hesitation as part of broader attempts to dilute the financial responsibilities of developed countries.
In the second half of the conference Bangladesh will press for its core priorities at the COP30 summit: demanding accessible, grant-based climate finance for adaptation, mitigation, and addressing loss and damage. As one of the most climate-vulnerable nations, its agenda focused on survival and climate justice, not merely abstract policy.
The Bangladesh delegation at the summit is focusing on the key priorities. These are operationalizing the loss and damage fund, scaling up adaptation finance, ensuring fair, accessible climate finance, advancing the just transition agenda, promotion of green technology transfer and recognition of climate migration.
Bangladesh has been strongly advocating for the immediate and full operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund, ensuring direct, unconditional, and fast-tracked access to grant-based (not loan-based) finance for the most affected communities.
A central demand was to significantly increase the allocation of global climate finance for adaptation, pushing for at least 50% of all climate finance to be directed toward vulnerable nations' adaptation needs. This includes doubling adaptation funding by 2025 and tripling it to at least $120 billion annually by 2030.
Bangladesh has called for a new global climate finance goal (New Collective Quantified Goal) that is ambitious, needs-based, predictable, and easily accessible. The country also seeks to retain access to key financial mechanisms after it graduates from Least Developed Country (LDC) status, arguing that vulnerability, not income classification, should be the key determinant for support.
Dhaka presented a "Just Transition" agenda to ensure that the shift to a green economy is fair and inclusive, protecting workers' rights, creating green jobs, and providing social protection as industries decarbonize.
The government sought partnerships and support to scale up renewable energy projects (solar, wind) as part of its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), aiming for 40% renewable power by 2040.
Bangladesh urged international recognition of climate-induced displacement as a humanitarian issue requiring a coordinated global response.
Bangladesh's position aimed to leverage its experience in community-led adaptation and resilience as a powerful case for climate justice and to ensure that global negotiations deliver tangible outcomes for frontline communities.
This time Bangladesh has sent a ministerial delegation to the summit, a scale down from its previous levels. Considering the importance of Bangladesh and the role it has to play for its own survival and the interests of the other climate-vulnerable nations the Bangladesh delegation should have been elevated to a higher level.
Bangladesh has many issues to present at such crucial summit and these have to be told boldly in a louder voice.
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