Civil society expects Paris agreement rules to be finalised  in COP26

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on Saturday expressed hope to see a finalised Paris rule-book in COP26 to ensure the functionality of the Paris agreement in the upcoming UN climate change conference (COP26). 

CSO members exchanged views at a round table discussion titled "Pre-COP 26 National Dialogue: CSOs Concerns and Expectations" arranged by Center for Participatory Research and Development (CPRD), in association with COAST Foundation, CDP, CLEAN, RIB, SDS, CCDB, CANSA-BD, YPSA, BARCIK alongside other CSOs and development partner organisations, said a press release. 

In the discussion, CPRD Chief Executive Md Shamsuddoha presented the keynote speech and chaired the discussion.  

Dharitri Sarker, Deputy Secretary of Environment Ministry,  Syed Jahangir Hasan Masum, Executive Director, Coastal Development Partnership (CDP), Ms Rabeya Begum, Executive Director, Shariatpur Development Society (SDS), and many other distinguished guests, as well as CPRD staff, were present in the discussion.

In his presidential speech, Md Shamsuddoha said, "In order to stave off climate change, finalisation of the Paris rule-book is very much urgent, and we hope the upcoming COP26 will finalize the Paris rule-book. The Paris Agreement will be operational after the finalization of the Paris rule-book."

According to IPCC, the most effective way to control climate change is reducing greenhouse gas emissions, he said. 

"To implement this, setting an appropriate emission reduction target is very essential. The NDCs submitted so far are not enough to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees or well below 2 degrees Centigrade from the pre-industrial era," the CPRD chief added. 

In his speech,  Dharitri Sarker said, the developed countries are pursuing the target of limiting global temperature rise to 2 degrees centigrade above the pre-industrial level. 

"It is the NDCs properly set by the global community which can bring the rising global temperature under control. Our government, with its best possible efforts, is contributing to the climate actions for facing climate change," he added.