CVF Chair Statement at the Climate Ambition Summit 2020

Virtual summit on five-year anniversary of the 

Paris Agreement

Statement by

H.E. Sheikh Hasina

Prime Minister

Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh

12 December 2020

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

The Rt. Hon’ble Boris Johnson,

Excellencies.

Today we are observing the fifth anniversary of the historic Paris Agreement. Unfortunately we are nowhere near to our goals set under the agreement.  

The reality is the climate change is neither going to take a break nor it will spare us from its adverse impact for our inaction.

Despite many constraints, Bangladesh has emerged as a global leader on adaptation measures. In this regard, I would like to remind everyone that there is a limit to adaptation. 

As the President of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, we have launched the CVF “Midnight Survival Deadline for the Climate” initiative urging every country to declare enhanced NDCs by the midnight on 31st December 2020.

In Bangladesh, we are planting 11.5 million saplings nationwide marking the birth centenary of our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and also launched a program called “Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan” to mobilize resources for a secured sustainable future. 

To substantially raise our NDC and adaptation ambition, we have further included few more potential sectors in addition to the existing energy, industry and transport sectors in the mitigation process. We are also finalizing our National Adaptation Plan. 

Every year, we are spending 2 billion US Dollars for climate change sensitive projects and 3 billion US Dollars for adaptation measures.

I would like to conclude urging all developed countries to come forward with predictable and promised mitigation measures along with climate finance.

Thank you all.