BD needs stronger investment to turn climate plans into action
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo on Wednesday called for national climate policies and plans to be translated into coordinated programmes, quality projects, appropriate financing and measurable results.
He said decisions being made on development today would shape Bangladesh’s climate risks for decades, making it essential for every major investment to take the climate conditions of the relevant area into account.
Mintoo made the remarks as the chief guest at the opening of the two-day Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership (BCDP) Knowledge Conference 2026 at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.
He also launched the BCDP Web Portal, a digital platform that will provide real-time monitoring of projects and help manage information on climate-related projects and investments.
The portal is expected to enhance transparency and improve processes for developing domestic and international climate finance pipelines.
Mintoo said adaptation investments often generated significant public benefits even when they did not produce direct revenue.
He stressed that climate financing arrangements should reflect Bangladesh’s development priorities and fiscal capacity, while calling for greater private investment in clean energy and sustainable infrastructure.The minister also emphasised the need to incorporate local communities’ experience into climate planning.
He said women, young people, persons with disabilities and marginalised communities must have meaningful opportunities to participate in project design, implementation and monitoring.
Alongside effective institutions, sound investment decisions and transparent resource use, Bangladesh would continue to seek international support and climate justice to address adaptation needs and climate-related loss and damage, he said.
State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Sheikh Faridul Islam, speaking as a special guest, highlighted increasing coastal salinity, declining crop production and growing pressure on people’s lives and livelihoods because of climate change.
He said the government was prioritising nature-based solutions to address these challenges.
He also highlighted canal excavation and tree-planting programmes, as well as the government’s focus on expanding electric buses and solar power as part of low-carbon development.
Faridul Islam sought active cooperation from partner organisations to make BCDP activities more dynamic and effective.
Dr Md Saimum Parvez, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said Bangladesh’s experience in climate adaptation was a story of courage, innovation and collective action.
He called for Bangladesh’s experience in early warning systems and community-based adaptation to be shared internationally and urged participants to turn conference discussions into concrete commitments, effective partnerships and practical action.
ADB Executive Director Satya Srinivas Lolla, who represents Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Lao PDR, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, said implementing Bangladesh’s national climate plans would require substantial investment from both the public and private sectors.
He said the conference’s success would ultimately depend on action and investment following the event.
Lolla stressed the need to bring together financing, technical expertise, institutional capacity and partnerships to help Bangladesh move from planning to implementation.
The first day of the conference focused on climate resilience and low-carbon growth, the National Adaptation Plan and implementation of NDC 3.0.
The second day will cover energy transition, low-carbon transport, water resources management, climate-resilient agriculture and preparation of investment-ready projects, among other issues.
The opening ceremony was chaired by Dr Fahmida Khanam, Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Additional Secretary (Climate Change) Mohammad Navid Shafiullah delivered the welcome address, while Joint Secretary Munira Sultana moderated the event.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change organised the two-day conference with support from the Asian Development Bank.
More than 500 policymakers, development partners, experts, private-sector representatives, academics and civil society representatives attended the conference.
