UNFCCC COP31: Zero waste, food security and resilient cities for Bangladesh

The world looks to the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP31), being held on 9–20 November  2026, in Antalya, Türkiye. Bangladesh faces a critical question: how can global climate commitments translate into tangible benefits for its people, food systems and cities?

For a country on the frontlines of climate change, the answers lie not only in reducing emissions but also in embracing zero-waste approaches, safeguarding food security and building resilient cities. These priorities are deeply interconnected, offering Bangladesh a practical pathway to cut emissions, reduce environmental pollution, protect livelihoods and strengthen its resilience to a changing climate. 

Co-led by Türkiye and Australia, COP31 is placing greater emphasis on implementation, investment and practical action. Its Action Agenda identifies ten priorities: Climate Implementation Bridge, Clean Energy Transition, Green Industrialization, Climate-Resilient Cities, Oceans and Seas, Food Security, Zero Waste, Dynamic and Resilient Health Systems, Rio Synergies, and Youth and Education.

For Bangladesh, these priorities are directly connected to national development. The country must reduce greenhouse gas emissions while protecting people from floods, cyclones, rising temperatures, salinity intrusion and other climate hazards. It must also safeguard food security, create jobs and improve public health.

Three areas deserve particular attention: Zero Waste, Food Security and Climate-Resilient Cities. Together, they offer practical opportunities to reduce methane and carbon emissions while strengthening the resilience of communities and ecosystems.

Bangladesh's Third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), submitted in September 2025, sets a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20.31 per cent below the business-as-usual scenario by 2035. This includes a 6.39 per cent reduction through domestic resources and a further 13.92 per cent reduction conditional on international support.

Achieving these targets will require coordinated action across energy, industry, agriculture, transport and waste management. Expanding renewable energy, improving industrial energy efficiency, promoting cleaner production and reducing fossil fuel consumption can help lower emissions while supporting economic growth.

However, the financial challenge is substantial. Bangladesh estimates that implementing its NDC mitigation measures during 2026–2035 will require approximately US$116.18 billion. Of this amount, US$25.95 billion is associated with unconditional actions to be financed through domestic resources, while US$90.23 billion depends on international climate finance.

These figures demonstrate the gap between climate ambition and available resources. Bangladesh cannot reasonably be expected to finance the entire transition from its own limited public resources while also addressing poverty, infrastructure deficits and the growing costs of climate adaptation.

At COP31, Bangladesh should call for predictable, accessible and additional climate finance, together with technology transfer and capacity building. It must also strengthen its ability to develop investment-ready projects, supported by clear budgets, implementation plans, measurable outcomes and transparent monitoring.

Waste management is often treated as a municipal cleanliness issue. In reality, it is also a climate priority.

When food scraps and other biodegradable materials decompose without sufficient oxygen in unmanaged dumpsites and landfills, they release methane. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to near-term global warming. Reducing these emissions can deliver important climate benefits while improving environmental health.

Bangladesh's rapidly growing cities generate large quantities of household waste, market refuse, food scraps and discarded packaging. Inadequate collection and disposal systems contribute to pollution, blocked drainage, contaminated waterways and public health risks. Organic waste deposited in unmanaged disposal sites adds to the country's methane burden.

The answer is not simply to build more landfills. Nor should waste incineration become the default solution. Bangladesh needs a waste management system that prioritises prevention, reuse, repair, recycling and the recovery of organic materials, with safe disposal reserved for residual waste.

Municipalities should introduce waste segregation at source and expand composting and appropriately designed anaerobic digestion. Composting can return nutrients to agricultural soils, while anaerobic digestion can capture biogas from organic waste for productive use.

These measures must be supported by reliable collection services, recycling infrastructure and stronger producer responsibility. Manufacturers should take greater responsibility for the packaging and products they introduce into the market. Informal waste workers, who already play a significant role in material recovery, must also be included in formal waste management systems and protected through fair working conditions.

For Bangladesh, Zero Waste is not simply about reducing rubbish. It can cut methane emissions, create green jobs, reduce pressure on landfills, conserve resources and protect rivers and wetlands from pollution.

The government should integrate measurable waste-related methane reduction targets into national and municipal climate plans, supported by emissions baselines, clear institutional responsibilities and adequate financing.

Agriculture remains central to Bangladesh's economy, rural livelihoods and food security. Yet rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, floods, droughts and salinity intrusion threaten agricultural productivity and the stability of food supplies.

Climate shocks can damage crops, disrupt transport and storage, increase food prices and deepen the vulnerability of low-income households. These risks make climate-resilient agriculture an urgent national priority.

Food waste adds another dimension to the problem. When food is lost during harvesting, transportation, storage and distribution, the resources used to produce it are also wasted. If discarded food decomposes in unmanaged dumpsites, it generates additional methane.

Bangladesh should therefore connect food security, agricultural resilience and waste prevention through a coordinated approach.

Priority actions include developing flood-, drought- and salinity-tolerant crop varieties, improving irrigation efficiency, strengthening agricultural extension services, expanding climate information for farmers and investing in better storage and transportation infrastructure.

Methane reduction should also become an integral part of agricultural policy. Where local conditions permit, alternate wetting and drying in rice cultivation can reduce methane emissions. Improved livestock feeding, better manure management and biogas systems can offer further benefits.

At the same time, markets, restaurants, institutions and households should take practical steps to prevent avoidable food waste. Better storage, more efficient distribution, food donation arrangements and the separate collection of unavoidable organic waste can reduce losses throughout the food system.

These measures must not place additional financial burdens on small farmers. Access to affordable credit, technical assistance, appropriate technologies and practical incentives will be essential.

Bangladesh must demonstrate that reducing emissions and protecting food production are complementary goals. A climate policy that undermines farmers' livelihoods or threatens food affordability cannot be sustainable.

Bangladesh's urban centres face a growing combination of extreme heat, air pollution, traffic congestion, flooding, inadequate drainage and the loss of wetlands and natural water channels. Rapid, poorly planned urbanisation is intensifying these problems while increasing energy demand and emissions.

The COP31 priority on Climate-Resilient Cities provides an opportunity to integrate climate adaptation and mitigation into urban planning.

Bangladesh should prioritise energy-efficient buildings, rooftop solar, improved public transport, safe walking and cycling infrastructure, better drainage, restored canals and wetlands, and expanded urban green spaces. These investments can reduce emissions while protecting people from heat and flooding.

Waste and sanitation must also be central to urban climate policy. Poorly managed organic waste and wastewater can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, while inadequate treatment threatens public health and water quality.

Municipal authorities should improve sewage and wastewater treatment, strengthen faecal sludge management and establish reliable systems for collecting and treating organic waste. Methane baselines should be developed for major waste and sanitation hotspots so that reductions can be measured over time.

Urban development must also protect natural systems. Wetlands, canals, rivers and urban trees provide flood storage, moderate temperatures, support biodiversity and improve the quality of life. Destroying these systems in the name of development often creates greater long-term economic and environmental costs.

The goal should be to make cities both low-carbon and climate-resilient. Efficient buildings reduce energy consumption; better public transport lowers fuel use; restored wetlands reduce flood risks; and improved sanitation protects communities from pollution and disease.

For Bangladesh, these are not separate environmental interventions. They are essential investments in public health, economic productivity and urban security.

The Climate Implementation Bridge is particularly relevant to Bangladesh because it emphasises the need to connect national climate commitments with financing and practical implementation.

Bangladesh should use COP31 to develop a coordinated portfolio of projects in renewable energy, industrial efficiency, methane reduction, climate-smart agriculture, waste recovery and resilient urban infrastructure.

This requires stronger coordination among the ministries responsible for environment, energy, agriculture, finance and local government. Climate priorities must be reflected in national budgets, sectoral investment plans and local development programmes.

Reliable emissions inventories, methane baselines and transparent monitoring systems are equally important. They will help the country identify where investment can deliver the greatest benefits and demonstrate whether projects are achieving their intended results.

Public finance should also be used strategically to encourage private investment in clean energy, recycling, composting and other low-carbon services. However, private investment cannot replace grants and highly concessional finance for essential public goods such as flood protection, wetland restoration and sanitation in vulnerable communities.

International climate finance must be accessible, timely and consistent with the principle of equity. Bangladesh should assess financing not only by the amounts pledged but also by how much is disbursed, the terms offered and the benefits delivered.

Bangladesh should approach COP31 with a dual strategy: press for the international support needed to meet its climate commitments while demonstrating its readiness to implement practical and measurable solutions.

Zero Waste, Food Security and Climate-Resilient Cities are closely connected. Better waste management can reduce methane and protect waterways. Climate-resilient agriculture can safeguard food supplies while reducing avoidable emissions. Better-planned cities can lower energy consumption while protecting communities from heat, floods and pollution.

Achieving these objectives will require capable institutions, adequate financing, effective enforcement and meaningful participation by local governments, research institutions, civil society, businesses and communities. Young people should be recognised as partners in climate action, scientific innovation and environmental decision-making.

Bangladesh has valuable experience in disaster preparedness, community adaptation and environmental advocacy. It can use that experience to contribute to international climate cooperation while demonstrating how a developing country can pursue economic growth alongside lower emissions and greater resilience.

Ultimately, COP31 should be judged not by the number of commitments announced but by the results countries achieve. For Bangladesh, success must mean less methane, cleaner cities, more resilient food systems, healthier ecosystems and climate finance that reaches the communities that need it most.

The challenge is to bridge the gap between climate ambition and implementation. Bangladesh must turn its commitments into investments, its investments into measurable emission reductions, and its climate policies into lasting improvements in people's lives.

* Dr. Shahriar Hossain is an environmental scientist, journalist, and social justice advocate. He serves as Secretary General of the Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) and contributes to international environmental policy, conventions, and advocacy.