Rich countries are failing to meet their Paris climate agreement commitments — Fisheries and Livestock Advisor
Farida Akhtar, adviser on fisheries and livestock, has said that wealthy countries are repeatedly failing to meet their commitments under the Paris Agreement.
"We do not want climate finance as a favour or a loan; it is our right. So we want to make it clear that it should be provided in the form of grants," she said.
She made these remarks while addressing a press conference as the chief guest at the Bangladesh Pavilion in the Blue Zone of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, on Saturday afternoon (15 November, Bangladesh time).
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The adviser said, "There is an unequal battle going on between those responsible for climate change and those who are most affected. We feel it more clearly when we come here from Bangladesh or represent vulnerable states."
She stressed the need to address gender-related challenges and the lack of women's participation in climate policy, noting that climate change has a significant impact on women. She added that the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs should actively participate in future UN climate conferences.
Farida Akhtar said that youth participation in the climate conference has increased significantly. Their presence in side events, their speeches and the questions they raised have added a new dimension to climate discussions. "Future climate leadership will be in their hands — so their active involvement is very important," she said.
The adviser said that changing river characteristics, habitat loss and climate-related pressures are putting Bangladesh's national fish, hilsa, at risk, leaving fishermen vulnerable to losing their livelihoods. She said that Bangladesh's hilsa is the first of its kind in the world, and the global community's cooperation is essential to protect this natural resource.
Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Mohammad Navid Shafiullah; Additional Secretary of the Economic Relations Division AKM Sohel; Additional Director General of the Department of Environment Ziaul Haque; Director of the Department of Environment Mirza Shawkat Ali; and Founder and Director of the Centre for Climate Justice Bangladesh Hafizul Islam Khan were also present at the press conference.
