Don't take WB loan to fight climate change

The government should not take $2 billion loan from the World Bank for tackling climate change, Transparency International Bangladesh said yesterday.

“It won't be wise to take the loan. We should rather seek compensations from the countries responsible for climate change as Bangladesh is the worst-affected country,” TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman told journalists at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity. 

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“World Bank will not give the loan interest-free. So, we cannot allow the bank to do business here. We should not put more loan burden on the affected people, but provide them with compensations,” he added.

The TIB, Committee of Concerned Citizens, and Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network (Clean) jointly organised the press conference on “Climate Equity Week 2016”.

To mark the week, the three organisations hosted different programmes in 15 districts, including nine in coastal areas, from October 22-28.

On October 19, the WB pledged to provide Bangladesh with $2 billion over the next three years to help the country tackle and adapt to climate change.

“The government should press hard for climate change compensations at the 22nd session of Conference of the Parties (COP 22) which is scheduled for November 7-18 in Morocco,” Iftekharuzzaman said.

The TIB will submit a position paper on the compensation issue to the government tomorrow, he mentioned.

He called upon the government to continue with its campaign to realise compensations by boldly placing the issue at different international forums.

He also slammed the countries responsible for climate change and donors for not meeting their pledges of compensations. 

The WB should help Bangladesh realise compensations, but it cannot do business by giving loans, the TIB executive director said.

He urged the authorities concerned to check whether all the climate change funds from abroad were being utilised properly.

About raising the Rampal Power Plant issue at the COP 22 summit, Iftekharuzzaman said: “The Unesco and the United Nations expressed concern about the proposed plant's probable impact on the climate and the Sundarbans. I won't be surprised if any organisation or individual raise the issue there.”

Hasan Mehedi, chief executive of Clean, read out a written statement at the press conference. He on behalf of the three organisations put forward 11-point demands to the Bangladesh delegation to Cop 22 and world leaders. The demands include ensuring a yearly fund of $10,000 crore to Green Climate Fund from developed countries and easing the access of affected countries to international climate funds.

The government should form a high-powered National Climate Authorities to regulate the climate funds, he observed.