Bangladesh slams ‘tragedy’ of rich nations on climate

Bangladesh slams ‘tragedy’ of rich nations on climate

AFP

A country of fertile, densely populated deltas, low-lying Bangladesh is among the most vulnerable nations in the world to climate change.

But the urgency of the situation is not being matched by actions of countries responsible for emissions, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said.

“They don’t act. They can talk but they don’t act,” she told AFP on a visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

“The rich countries, the developed countries, this is their responsibility. They should come forward. But we are not getting that much response from them. That is the tragedy,” she said.

“I know the rich countries, they want to become more rich and rich. They don’t bother for others.”

Bangladesh has produced a miniscule amount of the greenhouse gas emissions that have already contributed to the warming of the planet by an average of nearly 1.2C above pre-industrial levels.

The Paris accord called for $100 billion a year by 2020 from wealthy nations to help developing nations cope with climate change. That year, $83.3 billion was committed, including through private sources, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development figures.

One key issue facing the next UN climate summit, to take place in Egypt in November, is