BM Report:
Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, stated that climate change is an existential threat, but we have not yet entered the era of overshoot. He emphasized that if emissions peak by 2025, are halved by 2030, and we achieve net zero by 2050, the worst impacts of climate change can still be avoided, limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C. However, he stressed that this window is narrow and requires strong ambition and political will.
Minister Chowdhury made these remarks while speaking at a panel titled “The unavoidable master risk? Addressing climate overshoot” at the Munich Security Conference held in Munich, Germany, on Saturday.
He warned that exceeding the 1.5°C limit would significantly worsen the already disastrous situation, making sustainable development virtually impossible in many cases, as clearly stated by the IPCC.
Chowdhury highlighted that climate change is already exacerbating existing social, economic, and geopolitical vulnerabilities, jeopardizing national peace and stability. He pointed to sea level rise as a major threat to Bangladesh, alongside increased drought in the country’s northwestern regions.
The Minister emphasized that climate change is causing more frequent and extreme weather events, leading to displacement of people from their homes. He estimated that by 2050, an estimated 13.3 million people in Bangladesh (equivalent to the entire population of the State of Bavaria) will be displaced due to climate change, making it the country’s leading driver of internal migration.
Minister Chowdhury called for urgent action to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, emphasizing that this is a matter of survival. He further urged developed countries to provide increased and adequate financial assistance to developing countries to help them adapt to climate change and build resilience.
He cautioned against rushing into untested technologies like Carbon Dioxide Removal and Solar Radiation Modification, advocating instead for focusing on proven solutions such as mitigation, nature-based solutions, and afforestation.
The panel discussion also included participation from the former President of Costa Rica.
