The 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-31) is starting in the Turkish tourist city of Antalya on Monday.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will leave for Turkey on a three-day state visit tomorrow, Tuesday, to participate in the conference being held at the Antalya Expo Center on the Mediterranean coast.
His visit is being held at the invitation of the Turkish government.
The Prime Minister will participate in the high-level session of the conference on November 11 and 12. He will deliver two separate speeches during the session. He is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his visit.
Besides, the Prime Minister is likely to hold multiple meetings with representatives and important figures from different countries on the sidelines of the conference. The schedule of these meetings may be discussed today and a final decision may be taken.
This was learned from relevant government sources and the Prime Minister's Office. It is learned that at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-31), Bangladesh will demand adequate grant-based financing and effective and accessible financial and technical assistance from the developed world to combat climate-related damage.
In this regard, Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Abdul Awal Mintu said, "It is important to increase grants rather than increasing the debt burden to implement the National Adaptation Plan. Global support is needed, especially for the security of the coast, haor, char and drought-prone areas, early warning and locally-led adaptation." In addition, the damage fund will demand readily available grants to address non-economic losses such as displacement and loss of livelihoods, in addition to economic losses. Urging to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, Mintoo said that major carbon-emitting developed countries must come forward in this regard. It will also call for ensuring the cost of environmentally friendly transformation of agriculture, industry and energy sectors, as well as strengthening workers' rights and employment protection for women and youth. Abdul Awal Mintu said that due to climate change, cyclones, floods, salinity, droughts and heat waves are putting people's lives and livelihoods at serious risk. Bangladesh will prioritize the protection of vulnerable people, climate justice and financing and technical assistance for the implementation of national plans at this conference. Environmentalists and experts say that world leaders are coming together with the determination to protect the earth from the devastating impacts of climate change, secure the future of endangered humanity, and establish climate justice. Bangladesh's presence and position at this conference as a climate-vulnerable country carries great importance. The United Nations Climate Change Conference COP-31 will begin today, Monday, in the tourist city of Antalya, Turkey. The conference will continue until November 20. The 'Conference of the Parties' or 'COP' (CoP) conference, held under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is the largest platform for global climate diplomacy. The goals of this year's climate conference are to increase global electrification to 35 percent by 2035. Reduce methane gas emissions. Reduce energy use in the building sector by 25 percent, and increase compensation and climate finance for developing countries under the Paris Agreement. It is learned that the Prime Minister will leave Dhaka for Turkey on Tuesday to attend the high-level session of the World Climate Conference at the invitation of the Turkish government. He and his entourage will depart on a regular Turkish Airlines flight at 7:25 am. They will transit for a while after arriving at Istanbul Airport in the afternoon. They will then depart for Antalya on a domestic flight. This time, the Prime Minister will be accompanied on this important visit by State Minister for Foreign Affairs-1 Humayun Kabir, State Minister for Foreign Affairs-2 Shama Obaid, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Saimum Parvez, Principal Coordinator for SDG Affairs of the Prime Minister's Office Professor Dr. Sohag Awal, Press Secretary Saleh Shibli and Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu, and a small delegation. After the visit, the Prime Minister is scheduled to leave for the country on the afternoon of November 12. Prime Minister's Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu said that the Prime Minister will travel to Türkiye to attend the high-level session of the World Climate Conference at the invitation of the Turkish government. They will leave Dhaka for Turkey tomorrow.
