CSOs for inclusion of ‘loss and damage’ issue in the COP 27 agendas
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Civil society organisations (CSOs) on Thursday demanded a strong position of the government to include the loss and damage (L&D) issue as a key agenda in the upcoming UN climate conference (Conference of the Parties or COP 27).
COP 27 is set to hold in November this year in Egypt.
The demand was made at a seminar titled "COP-27: Government’s Position and Civil Societies’ opinion" organised by Coast Foundation, held at CIRDAP Auditorium in the city.
Speakers observed that as one of the Most Vulnerable Countries (MVC) to climate change, Bangladesh should adopt also a firm stance supporting a ‘legally binding commitment to zero emission’ target followed by ‘a maximum 1.5-degree celsius temperature’ goal.
Centre for Participatory Research & Development (CPRD), Coastal Development Partnership (CDP), Centre for Sustainable Rural Livelihood (CSRL), Equity and Justice Working Group, Bangladesh (EquityBD) also were co discussant CSOs in the seminar.
Equity BD’s Head Rezaul Karim Chowdhury moderated the programme while Deputy Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Habibun Nahar and lawmaker Mir Mostak Ahmed Robi (Satkhira-2), and Khulan City Corporation Panel Mayor Ali Akbar Tipu among others also spoke.
Syed Aminul Hoque of EquityBD presented the keynote which said COP 27 is crucial as the developed countries are trying to breach their all-previous commitment and tend to bypass the basic principles of Paris Agreement.
“They put new concepts like “Net Zero” emission, New Collective & Quantified Goal (NCQG)” on finance etc.
These vague or elusive concepts proposed by the developed countries in fact deeply inequitable as well as doesn’t commensurate with meaningful reductions of global warming to 1.5 C under Paris Agreement, said the paper.
The paper addressed a few demands to the government delegation including taking a strong position on inclusion of L&D issue in COP 27 agenda.
Demands should be raised so that rich countries must pledge “real zero 2030” targets instead of the “net zero” 2050 concept.
Deputy Minister Habibun Nahar, Mostak Ahmed Robi both stressed a united voice in the global climate negotiation by both government and CSOs to achieve the desired goal.