Prime Minister Tarique Rahman issued a compelling call to the international community on Tuesday, urging for urgent global action to address the catastrophic impacts of climate change by prioritizing the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund, enhancing the accessibility of climate finance and placing adaptation on equal footing with mitigation.

Speaking at the Dalian International Conference Centre during a session titled “Climate Leadership in a Shifting Global Landscape” at the 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum—widely known as Summer Davos—the Prime Minister emphasized that climate resilience is a collective responsibility that demands partnership, technology, and sustained financial commitment.

“Climate resilience cannot be built by any country alone. It requires partnership, technology, finance, and shared commitment. As we look ahead to COP31 and COP32, we wish to emphasise three priorities,” he stated.

Elaborating on these priorities, the Prime Minister stressed that the Loss and Damage Fund must transition from a pledge into a functional reality that provides predictable support to victim nations.

Regarding the second priority, he called for climate finance to become more concessional, accessible and responsive to the specific needs of vulnerable nations, further noting that the world needs “greater mobilisation and operationalization of the Green Climate Fund” to accelerate both technology transfer and private-sector investment.

Addressing his third priority, he asserted that adaptation is a vital necessity rather than a mere policy choice for nations like Bangladesh.

He pointed out that the current New Collective Quantified Goal of USD 300 billion is insufficient to meet the mitigation and adaptation requirements of developing nations, as highlighted by UNCTAD.

The Prime Minister urged global leaders to transcend geopolitical differences to honor climate commitments, particularly in the lead-up to COP31, which he said must reaffirm the spirit and goals of the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

“It is time to turn climate pledges into actions, and commitments into results, so that the world can embrace the future with confidence,” he said, adding that Bangladesh views climate action as an essential investment in future prosperity, stability and global justice rather than a simple cost.

He expressed his hope that COP31 would rise to the challenge, pledging that Bangladesh remains fully committed to playing its part in these global efforts.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who is visiting China at the invitation of Premier Li Qiang, is scheduled to attend a reception hosted by the Chinese Premier this evening.

His itinerary for June 24 includes a morning meeting with the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, followed by an afternoon train journey to Beijing.

The final phase of his official visit will occur in Beijing, where he is slated for bilateral discussions with Premier Li Qiang on June 25 and President Xi Jinping on June 26.

This trip follows his two-day official visit to Malaysia, marking his first overseas tour as head of government, and he is expected to return to Dhaka on the night of June 26.

With Inputs from UNB