Bangladesh sincerely striving to improve air quality: Minister

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md. Shahab Uddin said Bangladesh is sincerely striving to improve air quality and address near-term climate change through the reduction of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), reports BSS.

The minister said this while joining virtually the 10-Year Anniversary Ministerial of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) held in Paris on Friday evening, a press release said.

US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ghana, Kwaku Afriyie, CCAC Partner Ministers and Delegates were present in the meeting, the release added.

Shahab Uddin said Bangladesh wants to actively play its part in the global efforts in countering climate change with due diligence in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication.

Bangladesh submitted Updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) enhancing both unconditional and conditional contributions with ambitious mitigation targets, he added.

“Realising the potential of SLCPs, our updated NDC targets include reducing household energy emissions by 18.55 per cent, brick kiln sector emissions by 46.54 per cent and municipal solid waste and wastewater emissions by 7.93 per cent by 2030,” he said.

He said Bangladesh’s National Action Plan (NAP) on Reducing SLCPs will prevent 16,300 premature deaths, reduce black carbon emissions by 72 per cent and methane emissions by 37 per cent by 2040 if it is fully implemented.

However, adequate technical and financial support is a pre-requisite for the full implementation of the NAP-SLCP, he said.