— Environment Advisor

desk report, Baku, (Azerbaijan), November 18:
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forests, Climate
Change, and Water Resources, said Bangladesh’s challenges in transitioning to renewable
energy, emphasizing the need for timely and equitable financial and technological support.
Despite hurdles, Bangladesh remains committed to achieving its target of generating 40% of its
energy from renewables by 2041, actively revisiting energy policies to ensure sustainability and
sovereignty.
Environment Advisor said this while delivering speech at the side event ‘Road to Net
Zero: Navigating the Energy Transition in South Asia’ at the World Bank-IMF Pavilion during
the World Climate Conference (COP-29) in Baku, Azerbaijan today.
She said to reduce dependence on imported solar panels, Bangladesh has requested
China to relocate solar manufacturing plants. Policies on solar energy, including high taxes are
also under review. The potential of rooftop solar on high-rise buildings and unused government
or tea estate lands is being explored as part of the solution.
Speaking at another event organized by UNFCCC, she noted that implementing
Bangladesh’s updated NDC requires $176 billion by 2030, with $32 billion needed for
unconditional actions. The remaining amount relies on international support, particularly
through mechanisms like Article 6. Bangladesh is also preparing to submit its NDC 3.0 next
year.
The Advisor stressed the importance of partnerships with Germany and other global
leaders in decarbonizing key industries like steel and cement, highlighting Bangladesh’s vision
of ‘Three Zeros’ zero net carbon emissions, zero poverty, and zero unemployment, inspired by
Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus.
She emphasized the need for integrated natural resource management alongside carbon
reduction and requested Germany’s assistance in cleaning rivers in Bangladesh. The Advisor
also invited global stakeholders to an international climate finance conference in Bangladesh in
March 2025 and urged investment in building the capacity of young climate activists.
Later, Rizwana Hasan attended a session on ‘Article 6 Implementation Partnership’ at
the Japan Pavilion. Organized by the Ministry of Environment of Japan, the session delved into
market-based approaches for reducing emissions under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Syeda
Rizwana Hasan asked Japan support for capacity building, technology transfer and investments.