The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) today said member states of the commonwealth should develop a framework to face the potential challenges of adverse impact of climate change.
Many island nations, developing countries and small branches of CPA are at risk for future climate change impacts, lawmakers of the CPA told a workshop on "The Climate Change Debate: Challenges for the Commonwealth" at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) here.
Dr Md Enamur Rahman, MP, of Bangladesh, Dr Barton Scotland, MP, of Guyana, Maria Manguiat of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), lawmakers of other commonwealth countries, among others, took part in the debate. Parliamentarian of St Helena Derek Thomas moderated the workshop.
The workshop recommended that parliamentarians within the commonwealth should ensure a framework for combating climate change is developed and implemented within each region and updated at regional conferences and legal reform can make a carbon and climate resilient development pathway possible by reinforcing policy.
It also suggested strengthening institution and mobilizing resources towards climate change activities.
Thomas said, "All member countries have endorsed the recommendations that are so important and crucial for commonwealth countries as climate change is affecting our life severely."
As climate change is global phenomenon, all should work collectively to lower carbon emission to protect the planet, he added.
Dr Enamur said, "Both developed and developing nations should go for green energy to fight climate change impact. Otherwise, catastrophic situation is waiting for the whole planet meaning negative impact of climate change will undermine sustainable development".
Taking this into consideration, the government of Bangladesh is planning to promote green energy to fight climate change impact, he added.
Although big countries are largely responsible for lion's share of carbon emission, they are not showing expected supports towards curbing carbon emission, he said adding this is why the government formed the Climate Change Trust Fund to combat climate change impact in the country.
Dr Enamur said various milestone initiatives have been taken in the country, including making Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP), 2009, Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund (BCCRF) and Climate Change Trust Act-2010, to enhance capacity on the climate change issue.
Maria said developed countries must extend their financial and technical supports to the poor countries to cope with negative impact of climate change.
"I hope these two recommendations accepted unanimously by commonwealth countries will produce very effective outcome for addressing the climate change related problems," she added.
Other speakers said the Paris accord requires all countries to devise plans to achieve the goal of keeping the rise in temperature within two degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial levels and strive for 1.5 C if possible.
The Least Developed Countries (LDCs) must be united by developing strong leadership to pile up pressure on the industrialized nations to take actions to stem the planet's rising temperature, they added.
Climate experts said Paris agreement should be legally binding... One powerful country that has withdrawn its name from the campaign to fight global change is largely responsible for carbon emission, they added.
Leading carbon emitting countries must follow international agreements to save the planet from the adverse impact of climate change. Bangladesh alone cannot tackle the climate change issue as it is a global phenomenon, they said adding it should move bilaterally as well as multilaterally with strong bargaining capacity to exert pressure on the rich nations to make them extend financial and technical supports to the climate vulnerable countries.
Despite negative attitude of the developed countries on the global climate change issue, the experts said it is urgent for the vulnerable countries, including Bangladesh, to participate in such global conferences to pile up pressure on them.
Dinesh Oraon, Speaker of Jharkhand Legislative Assembly, said due to climate changes the temperature of the world is increasing 2 degree Celsius to 2.5 degree Celsius per year. He said all the developed nations should not only help financially but also technically to the developing nations in order to give pace to their environment related activities.
Source: BSS