Call to stop investing in fossil fuels by 2025 to save the world

Special Envoy to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for Climate Change Saber Hossain Chowdhury has said that investment in fossil fuel-based energy must be stopped by 2025 to save the world, including Bangladesh, from the crisis caused by climate change and to keep the global temperature within 1.5 degrees Celsius.

He made this comment at the day-long 'Multi Stakeholder Cop-28 Preparation Workshop' organized by UK-based international charity Oxfam in Bangladesh on the possibility of Bangladesh's success in the forthcoming global climate conference COP 28 (Conference of Parties) organized at a hotel in the capital on Saturday.

As the chief guest, Saber Hossain said, “If we can't come to a consensus on moving away from fossil fuels, it will have a huge impact on our climate adaptation. We are already seeing the negative impact of climate change on us at 1.1-degree Celsius global temperature”.

He further said, “Our adaptation costs are increasing every year. Last year, we gave $3.4 million from ourselves. It is increasing every year. Also, we talk about climate fund. There is talk of $100 billion in Climate Fund, which Bangladesh and other affected countries will get. But this number is completely political, it is important to determine it scientifically”.

Four separate sessions on carbon tax, climate economics; climate adaptation and mitigation; global stocktaking; abolition of fossil fuel era, prospects of alternative and renewable fuels (Just Energy Transition), challenges and actions etc. were discussed. Where various recommendations were raised out focusing on COP-28.

Member of Parliament Barrister Shamim Haider Patwari participated in the discussion as the special guest.

In this day-long workshop, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Iqbal Abdullah Harun, Deputy Managing Director of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) Dr. Fazle Rabbi Sadiq Ahmed and representatives from various government agencies, development and human rights organizations, climate experts, academics and media persons attended the workshop.

Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA) and Dhaka International University (DIU) organized the event with Oxfam in Bangladesh.