Issuing a final warning on global warming, top leaders of Asia and the Pacific have pledged to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

They made the pledge at the 79th high-level session for Asia and the Pacific.

Joining the discussion virtually, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged the building of a safe and liveable planet for future generations and, stressing regional partnership to tackle the dangerous threat of climate change, set out a four-point outline.

The information was given in a press release from the Economic Relations Division on Thursday (18 May).

The five-day 79th session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) began in Bangkok, the Thai capital, on 15 May with a call to speed up climate action for sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific.

The conference was organised to bring together leaders and other stakeholders from countries in the region to identify areas of regional cooperation and discuss policy, with the aim of accelerating action against climate change and increasing regional cooperation.

This session included discussions on encouraging ambitious climate initiatives to reach net zero in Asia and the Pacific, on investment in tackling climate change to keep global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius and on the successes achieved, as well as special discussions on reducing the risks and effects of climate change through a climate solutions fair.

In the discussion, the prime minister said developing countries vulnerable to climate change need adequate funding to implement their national action plans and achieve their nationally determined targets. She stressed exchange of science-based knowledge and technology for climate-resilient development, and international support for innovation-led trade and investment.

She also stressed special trade benefits for developing countries to meet the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and climate change, and access to digital trade and IT-based services.

Sheikh Hasina advised strengthening sub-regional cooperation to implement climate initiatives for sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific, in particular by speeding up ongoing partnership-based work and building new partnerships.

An 11-member Bangladesh delegation led by Economic Relations Division Secretary Sharifa Khan took part online, while Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh Mohammad Abdul Hai, Alternate Permanent Representative Syed Rashedul Hossain and the embassy's deputy permanent representatives joined the discussion in person from the Bangladesh Embassy in Bangkok.

At the session, the ERD secretary delivered the country statement on the theme topic under Agenda 2. Other members of the delegation presented Bangladesh's position on various agenda items.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.