Fossil Fuel phase-out must by 2025 to keep global temperature below 1.5°C: Saber Hossain Chowdhury

To save the world including Bangladesh from the climate change crisis and to keep the global temperature within 1.5 degrees Celsius, investments in fossil fuel-based energy must be stopped by 2025, said Prime Minister's Environment and Climate Change Affairs special envoy, Saber Hossain Chowdhury.

He said this on his speech as chief guest in a day-long workshop titled, 'COP28 Influencing Arbitrations- Multi-Stakeholder Preparatory Workshop' organized by Oxfam in Bangladesh on Saturday which aimed to Bangladesh's opportunity in the upcoming global climate Conference of Parties (COP28), reads a press release.

Saber Hossain, president of the parliamentary standing committee related to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said, "Limiting global temperature below 1.5 degrees requires the elimination of fossil fuel use and investment in fossil fuel-based energy by 2025. If we can't agree on this, we will greatly impact our climate adaptation. Already seeing what 1.1°C global warming is doing to us (climate-related vulnerabilities).'

He also said, 'Our adaptation costs are increasing every year. Last year we gave $3.4 million to ourselves. It is increasing every year. Also, we talk about climate funds. There is talk of $100 billion in Climate Funds, which Bangladesh and other affected countries will get. But this number is completely political, it is important to determine it scientifically.'

In this workshop, there were separate four session including Climate Finance – Country accessibility, proficiency, anticipation, and operational strategies; Decentralization of Efforts - Overlooked is the vital equilibrium between funding for adaptation and mitigation; Global stocktaking and L&D financing; Just Energy Transition (JET) and fossil fuel phase-out. 

Barrister Shamim Haider Patwary MP participated in this day-long workshop as a special guest. In the closing ceremony, he discussed Bangladesh's priorities and plans at COP28; In particular discussed the importance of global stocktake, fossil fuel phase-out, renewable fuel or just energy transition. Also discussed at COP28 is how civil society organizations can contribute to this process as a supporter of governments.

Among others, Iqbal Abdullah Harun, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Mohamamd Iftekhar Hossain, Joint Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh, Dr. Fazle Rabbi Sadeque Ahmed, Deputy Managing Director of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), various government agencies, development and human rights organizations, climate experts, academics and media workers took part this workshop.