COP Summit: Too Much Talk, Too Little Action

The scars of climate change are no longer invisible.

Rather, they have become a harsh reality in various countries across the globe. In the words of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, “We have entered a new era of climate extremes.”

Yet, the disheartening reality is that the necessary preparedness to face this difficult situation is lacking. In particular, the promises made by developed nations in recent years have not been reflected in reality.

Against this backdrop, the global climate conference — COP31 — began in Antalya, Turkey last Saturday. By now, heads of government, representatives from various countries, and environmental activists from around the world are participating in this international event.

Meanwhile, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman arrived in Antalya on a three-day visit on Tuesday to attend the three-day COP31, where he is scheduled to join the main summit proceedings and hold bilateral meetings with several world leaders. Tariqie Rahmant met with Turkish President Recep Tyyip Erdoqan on the same on Tuesday at the Maxx Royal Hotel in Antalya. The meeting lasted for about 30 minutes.

The annual UN-organized global climate conference inspires new hope in the minds of millions of people around the world.

This conference is particularly significant for climate-vulnerable nations like Bangladesh. Regrettably, however, each year following these conferences, little in the way of practical and effective action emerges — beyond mere promises and agreements on paper.

Under the United Nations climate accords, developed nations — which are responsible for greenhouse gas emissions — are expected to provide financial assistance to developing countries to help them address the impacts of climate change. However, the bitter reality is that the level of support falls far short of what is required.

According to the ‘Emissions Gap Report’ from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), developing countries will need approximately $305 billion annually by 2035 for adaptation efforts. Yet, in 2024, only $28.2 billion to $31.7 billion was provided through international public funding for this purpose.

Despite Bangladesh’s contribution to global carbon emissions being negligible (less than 1 percent), we are among those suffering the most from the impacts of climate change.

Frequent devastating cyclones, untimely floods, riverbank erosion, increasing salinity in coastal areas, and intense heat waves have placed the lives and livelihoods of ordinary people in Bangladesh under extreme threat.

We believe that effective measures must be taken to save our planet — the Earth — from destruction. The commitments made by developed nations must be translated from the diplomatic negotiating table into reality.

It is hoped that this year’s climate conference will be successful in bringing down the shock from the climate scars.