[Dhaka] September 29, 2015: CANSA (Climate Action Network South Asia), a network of over 120 civil society organisations in South Asia, commended Bangladesh government for being the first country in South Asia to put forward its climate targets aka (Intended Nationally Determined Contributions) ahead of October 01, deadline set by the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Bangladesh is a highly climate vulnerable country whose emissions are less than 0.35% of global emissions. The main focus of Bangladesh’s activities is on increasing its people’s resilience to the impacts of climate change. Extreme temperatures, erratic rainfall, floods, drought, tropical cyclones, rising sea levels, tidal surges, salinity intrusion and ocean acidification are causing serious negative impacts on the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has offered an unconditional contribution to reduce green house gas (GHG) emissions by 5% from business as usual (BAU) levels by 2030 in the power, transport and industry sectors, based on existing resources and a conditional 15% reduction in GHG emissions from BAU levels by 2030 in the power, transport, and industry sectors, subject to appropriate International support in the form of finance, investment, technology development and transfer, and capacity building.

“Even though Bangladesh has perhaps the lowest per capita emissions in the world, nevertheless it has proposed to reduce its emissions by 5% unconditionally and 15% if given support by 2030. This shows that Bangladesh, despite being one of the most vulnerable and poor developing countries is still prepared to take mitigation actions,” said ICCAD Director Saleemul Haq.

‘These mitigation actions will play a key role in realising the move to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy and to becoming a middle-income country by 2021 whilst ensuring that it will not cross the average per capita emissions of the developing world- The INDC includes both unconditional and conditional emissions reduction goal for the power, transport, and industry sectors, alongside further mitigation actions in other sectors, which Bangladesh intends to carry out. Bangladesh intends to implement conditional emissions reduction goal subject to appropriate international support in the form of finance, investment, technology development and transfer, and capacity building,’ according to the report uploaded on website of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Environment and Forests.

“Bangladesh must be commended for taking the lead in submitting its climate targets and for making it clear that it is willing to do lot more in terms of climate action with international financial support. However CANSA is concerned and surprised with the preponderance of coal power in its projected energy mix. Without any prejudice to its aspirations and right to development, Bangladesh can and must leapfrog into future with as minimal emissions as possible and for that the country must remove coal and add ambitious renewable energy targets.” said Sanjay Vashist, Director, CANSA.

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Contact Details for Dr. Saleemul Huq

Email: saleemul.huq@iied.org

Telephone: +44 (0) 20 3463 7399

Link to Bangladesh INDC: http://www4.unfccc.int/submissions/INDC/Published%20Documents/Bangladesh/1/INDC_2015_of_Bangladesh.pdf