COP30 was expected to be the “COP of Implementation” during a period of unprecedented global warming, with the 1.5°C target rapidly becoming unachievable. There was a lot of optimism for this year’s Conference of Parties in Belém, Brazil, along the Amazon’s edge, following years of disappointing results from successive COPs. However, what actual successes has the Belém Package achieved? What does this entail for nations like Bangladesh? What effects do these results have on Bangladesh’s national policy and climate strategy, as well as the overall status of international climate negotiations?

To advance this conversation, the Institute of Climate Change, Environment and Sustainability (ICCES) and the Department of Environmental Science and Management at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) convened a post-COP30 dialogue at the university’s campus in Bashundhara. A keynote address by Deputy Managing Director of PKSF, Dr. Fazle Rabbi Sadeque Ahmed, deconstructed the outcomes of the largest annual international climate conference, which was held in November.

The keynote speech and initial insights were followed by a panel discussion titled: “Loss and Damage after COP30: Opportunities and Risks for Bangladesh.” The panellists included Dr. Md. Hafizur Rahman, Professor & Head, Dept. of Environmental Science and Management, IUB; AKM Sohel, UN Wing Chief, ERD, Ministry of Finance; Dr. Munjurul Hannan Khan, Executive Director, NACOM and M. Hafijul Islam Khan, Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh and Founder & Director, Centre for Climate Justice-Bangladesh (CCJ-B). It was moderated by Sumaiya Binte Selim, Programme Coordinator, Gender & Youth, ICCCAD, IUB

Scholars and experts from a wide range of disciplines, including Dr. Anwar Zahid, former Director (Geology) of the Bangladesh Water Development Board and Dr. Md. Saifur Rahman, Policy Analyst, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change also weighed in with their remarks. IUB Pro Vice Chancellor Prof. Daniel W. Lund was present as chief guest.