DHAKA, Oct 26, 2024 (BSS)- Speakers at a seminar here today made a call to the global leaders, on the eve of COP29, to focus on limiting the rise of global average temperature between 1.5 to 2 degree Celsius by 2100 for a livable earth.

They also urged them to concentrate their effort for 42 percent carbon reduction by 2030 comparing to 2019.

The seminar was jointly organized by EquityBD, a network of non-government development and humanitarian organizations at the CIRDAP auditorium ahead of the 29th Climate Conference (COP29) to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, said a press release.

Speakers said the earth will no longer be habitable if the rise of global temperature exceeds two-degree Celsius by 2100.
 
Commitment of climate financing at the COP29 would go in vain if much concentration was not given on the reduction of global temperature and carbon emission, they said.

COAST Foundation, CDP, CPRD, AOSED, BCJF, Manusher Jonno Foundation and CSRL joined the EquityBD as co-host.  

Deputy secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forest Dharitri Kumar Sarkar, Dr. Fazle Rabbi of PKSF, Shamsuddoha of CPRD, Ziaul Haque Mukta of CSRL, Ahsanul Wahed of Manusher Jonno Foundation, Jahangir Hasan Masum of CDP, and Syed Aminul Huq of COAST Foundation took part in the discussion with Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, chief moderator of EquityBD, in the chair.
   
Abul Hasan of the COAST Foundation presented the keynote speech.

Mentioning that definition of climate finance has not been set yet, Shamsuddoha, also a member of the government delegation at the Climate Conference, said, the rich countries, responsible for climate changes are providing fund for poor and affected countries. However, all the money from them, including loans and investments is being described as the climate finance, he said.

Even the finance for the affected countries was not given through the UNFCCC, but various financial institutions such as World Bank and other global money lenders, which are doing business with the money, he noted.

Dharitri Kumar Sarkar said recommendations from the today’s discussion will be incorporated to the position paper prepared by the Bangladesh government for the upcoming climate conference. 

Dr. Fazle Rabbi said less than one percent of the money pledged by the rich countries for climate mitigation and adaptation has been disbursed.
 
If the money comes, we are often unable to use it due to infrastructural challenges and policy constraints, which must be resolved, he said.

Calling for utilizing maximum share of the climate finance under the management of UNFCCC, Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said as much as climate fund would be spent beyond the UNFCCC framework as much as business would be done.

Ziaul Haque Mukta said the warming must be kept within 2 degrees Celsius to keep the earth habitable. But there are no visible efforts of it, he said.