Bangladesh PM calls out rich nations at UNGA for climate inaction

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
24 Sep 11:08

In light of the Paris Accords, wealthy countries are urged to compensate for damages and adaptation due to their grave contribution to the climate crisis and greenhouse gas emissions.

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina at last year's UNGA (UN Archive)

Considering that Bangladesh is among the most vulnerable nations in the world to be affected by climate change, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina believes that the seriousness of the matter is not being taken into consideration as much by the countries responsible for the emissions.

During her visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), she told AFP, "They don't act. They can talk but they don't act," adding, "The rich countries, the developed countries, this is their responsibility. They should come forward. But we are not getting that much response from them. That is the tragedy. I know the rich countries, they want to become more rich and rich. They don't bother for others."

On its part, Bangladesh has produced a very small amount of greenhouse gas emissions but that amount has already contributed to global warming by an alarming average of 1.2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

The Paris Agreement of 2015 initiated an objective for contributions of $100 billion a year by 2020 from wealthy nations to help their developing counterparts in adapting to climate change, and according to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development figures, $83.3 billion was committed that year including through private sources.

"We want that fund to be raised. Unfortunately, we didn't get a good response from the developed countries," the PM said, "because they are the responsible ones for these damages, they should come forward," she concluded.

This year's UNGA had climate justice as one of its main themes, for which the leader of Vanuatu called for an international treaty against fossil fuels, while the PM of Pakistan warned the UN hall that floods that have destroyed one-third of his country could happen in any other country. The next UN climate summit due to take place in Egypt in November is bound to tackle if wealthy nations also need to compensate for losses and damages from climate change and not just for adaptation and mitigation.

However, wealthy countries have agreed upon the discussion of merely the loss and damage issue through 2024.