Developed countries still lack sincerity and goodwill in pledging to tackle climate change, said Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud and environmental researcher attending the world climate conference.
He also called on developed countries to allocate equal funds for mitigating the effects of climate change and adapting to the changing environment.
Dr Hasan said the delays of various means and deceptions of the developed countries in climate finance are pushing the whole world, including Bangladesh, towards disaster. The big proof of this is that Bangladesh is an innocent victim of climate change but, our responsibility in this is absolutely negligible. Although the industrialized and rich countries are responsible, they are not taking responsibility for it, but are avoiding it.
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The minister was speaking at a discussion titled ‘Speech on Transparency Mechanism in Paris Agreement: Issues, Concerns’ organised by BRAC University's Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3R) on the financial transparency process of the Paris Agreement at the Bangladesh Pavilion of Conference of Parties (COP)-26 in Glasgow of Scotland on Wednesday evening. C3R advisor Dr Ainun Nishat presided over the programme while, Tanvir Shakil Joy, a representative of the Bangladesh Parliamentary Party on Climate Change, Fatima Yasmin, Secretary of the Department of Economic Relations and Dr Gary Fox, Dr Selimul Haque, Dr Atiq Rahman, environmentalists spoke on the occasion.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hassan Mahmud said that the developed countries' delay in financing the damage caused by climate change is not desirable. In this case, they also lack transparency, goodwill and sincerity. But Bangladesh did not surrender helplessly to this loss. On the contrary, due to the far-sighted and timely move of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, it is working on its own funds, which is already appreciated in the world.
He said under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has conquered hunger and has now become a food-rich country. Through various initiatives and research of scientists and researchers of our government, different varieties of climate-friendly rice have been produced and are being produced. Our researchers have produced rice tolerant to drought, flood, submergence and salinity, the information minister told the meeting.