Coal fired power plants contribute 28% of total air pollution in Bangladesh: Rizwana

Carbon emission in the national level is increasing day by day and coal based power plants are contributing 28% of the total air pollution in the country, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Advisor Syeda Rizwana Hasan said today (18 February).

"We are hearing the complaints from the surrounding communities about air pollution. Globally we emit little carbon but nationally our emission is increasing day by day," she said at a dialogue on Bangladesh-Australia Climate Policy and Green Energy Transition organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) in Dhaka.

The programme was also attended by Australian High Commissioner to Dhaka Susan Ryle, Australian Ambassador for Climate Change Kristin Tilley, Country Manager of International Finance Corporation (IFC) Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal Martin Holtmann.

CPD Research Director Khondaker Golam Moazzem detailed the presentation and CPD Executive Director Fahmida Khatun moderated the dialogue.

About green transition, Rizwana said people are committed to green transition and renewable energy but present problematic power plant deals that were struck in the past are making the green transition slow.

"I don't think the process [green transition] would be very fast because of the burden [of power deals] we have on our shoulders. We can't shrug them [power deals] off. These are agreements, legally binding contracts… we have to carry on these problematic deals for next few years to come," she said, adding that, "We are suffering from climate change to which we didn't contribute. On the other hand, we are taking loans that our next generations will have to pay. It's a double jeopardy for a country like us."

The adviser urged Australia to finance the climate initiative either as grant or concessional loan.

Describing the burden of energy bills on financial health of the country Rizwana said, "It is very important for Bangladesh to think about whether an energy market should be import reliant. Prices vary, markets are volatile. The financial burden we have on our shoulders in the energy sector alone eats up a lot of financial resources that we have in hand."  

"For the past 2-3 years, it has been said we don't have potential in local energy. Investing heavily in the import reliant energy sector gets even more problematic," she opined.

Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Susan Ryle gave an introductory speech. In her speech she outlined the actions that the Australian government is doing globally.

Susan Ryle said, "We are working with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in Bangladesh to unlock commercial investments in the power sector and explore pathways to achieve net-zero in the energy sector. We understand the importance of building regional clean energy supply chains."