Dhaka, 24th November 2012. Today in a press conference, held at national press club seven Bangladeshi civil society climate networks along with 12 international networks has launched a post card campaign contained with 16 human stories and 16 demands related to Rights for Climate Forced Migrants.Organizers said that they will distribute these postcards globally especially among the policy makers who will be participating in Doha climate conference during 26th November to 7th December 2012.

Organizers of the press conference are Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), Bangladesh Indeginious People Network for Climate Change and Bio Diversity (BIPNetCCBD), Climate Change Development Forum (CCDF), Climate Finance Governance Network (CFGN), Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihood (CSRL), Equity and Justice Working Group Bangladesh (EquityBD) and Network on Climate Change Bangladesh (NCCB). They said they have 12 international civil society networks also expressed soliddarity with them in this campaign, which will also be campaigning in Doha also in their countries on the issue. They are 350.Org from USA; Beyond Copenhagen Collective, Bharitiya Jana Vighaan Jatra (BJVJ) and Parivi all these three organizations from India; Jubilee South Asia Pacific Development Movement (JSAPMDD) and People’s Movement on Climate Change (PMCC) from Philippines; Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) from Kenya, Least Development Country (LDC) Watch from Brussels, South Asian Alliance on Poverty Eradication (SAAPE) from Nepal, and Jubilee Debt Campaign and World Development Movement from UK.

Denounce Climate Axis of Evil: Break the G77 and China Group

Photo: Courtesy to equitybd

Durban, 8th December 2011. Today in a press conference in official premise of UNFCCC CoP 17 six Bangladeshi civil society networks in a press conference commented USA, India and China as climate axis of evil and urged LDC and SIDS country to break the G77 +China group and urged to emerge as separate negotiation group in UNFCCC and also in all other global negotiation process too.

The press conference was jointly organized by Bangladesh Poribesh Andolan (BAPA), Bangladesh Indigenous People's Network on Climate Change and Biodiversity (BIPNetCCBD), Climate Change Development Forum (CCDF), Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (CSRL), Equity and Justice Working Group Bangladesh (EquityBD) and Network on Climate Change in Bangladesh (NCCB). The press conference was introduced by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of EquityBD, moderated by Ziaul Hoque Mukta of CSRL, written statement of the group read out by Dr. Ahsan Uddin of CSRL, the statement was complemented by Raja Debasish Roy of BIPNetCCBD and vote of thanks and conclusion was given by Mizanur Rahman Bijoy of NCCB. 

Web Link: Equitybd

Bangladesh urges global leaders to listen to science

Staff Correspondent

A group of Bangladeshi civil society members has urged global leaders to listen to the plights of climate victims and condemned industrialised countries for blocking a “loss and damage” mechanism in the UN climate change conference in Warsaw, Poland.

The mechanism is an arrangement that the most vulnerable countries were expecting to take shape in the conference. But it failed because of disagreement of some developed nations like Australia, Canada and Japan.

Bangladeshi civil society climate alliance asked world leaders to listen to the science and reach an agreement to save the planet from possible climate catastrophe by reducing carbon emission.

The call came at a press conference at the Warsaw National Stadium on Thursday.

In a statement, Ahsan Uddin Ahmed, on the group’s behalf, said by delaying the legally binding agreement by 2015 and a road map towards climate financing of $100 billion by 2020, the developed countries were in fact giving death sentences to thousands of people of the least developed countries.

Ziaul Haque Mukta of Oxfam Asia, who moderated the press conference, criticised the attitude of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) as they were ignoring the spirit of the Kyoto Protocol by refusing to reduce their emission level.

BRICS leaders said reducing their carbon emission would hurt their development. Because of their refusal, many developed countries spoke against a new legally binding climate treaty. Abdul Matin of BAPA criticised the colonial attitude of the rich and developed countries for not listening to the logics and even the science.

Asaduzaman of BIDS mentioned that parties in climate conference were bypassing the agriculture and sea acidification issues.

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The Daily Star 

BD climate funds need single focal point

Speakers at a seminar on Monday urged the government to consider a transparent and inclusive national designated authority to attract international climate finance.

The seminar titled "Green Climate Fund, Country Ownership, International Climate Finance: Is Bangladesh Ready?" held in the city. It was organised by BAPA, BIPNetCCBD, CCDF, CSRL and EquityBD with the sponsorship of Oxfam and European Union.

Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of EquityBD moderated it while Sayed Aminul Haque of presented the keynote speech.

Speakers said, the present climate finance is

little coordinated and the climate change strategic action plan is a neglected document, as the present focal point at the Ministry of Forest and Environment  has little authority over other ministries.

They said the country ownership should not be mere a government or bureaucratic ownership; it should be open for all affected community, media and other groups. They cited examples that Indonesia and Philippines have already created supra coordination body like separate climate change commission and council, we must do it.

Dr Quazi Kholiquzzaman in his concluding remarks said that the country in fact should not be expecting much from foreign assistance in respect of climate finance although the country is continuously raising voice in international level. He said that there should be a national designated authority as a single supra coordination body in respect of climate planning, which is also a requirement of Green Climate Fund.

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Denounce Climate Axis of Evil: Break the G77 and China Group

Durban, 8th December 2011. Today in a press conference in official premise of UNFCCC CoP 17 six Bangladeshi civil society networks in a press conference commented USA, India and China as climate axis of evil and urged LDC and SIDS country to break the G77 +China group and urged to emerge as separate negotiation group in UNFCCC and also in all other global negotiation process too.

The press conference was jointly organized by Bangladesh Poribesh Andolan (BAPA), Bangladesh Indigenous People's Network on Climate Change and Biodiversity (BIPNet), Climate Change Development Forum (CCDF), Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (CSRL), Equity and Justice Working Group Bangladesh (EquityBD) and Network on Climate Change in Bangladesh (NCCB). The press conference was introduced by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of EquityBD, moderated by Ziaul Hoque Mukta of CSRL, written statement of the group read out by Dr. Ahsan Uddin of CSRL, the statement was complemented by Raja Debasish Roy of BIPNet and vote of thanks and conclusion was given by Mizanur Rahman Bijoy of NCCB

Denounce Climate Axis of Evil: Break the G77 and China Group 

Civil Society Demand Rights for Climate Forced Migrants

Dhaka, 24th November 2012. Today in a press conference, held at national press club seven Bangladeshi civil society climate networks along with 12 international networks has launched a post card campaign contained with 16 human stories and 16 demands related to Rights for Climate Forced Migrants.Organizers said that they will distribute these postcards globally especially among the policy makers who will be participating in Doha climate conference during 26th November to 7th December 2012. 

Organizers of the press conference are Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), Bangladesh Ingenious People's Network for Climate Change and Bio Diversity (BIPNetCCBD), Climate Change Development Forum (CCDF), Climate Finance Governance Network (CFGN), Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihood (CSRL), Equity and Justice Working Group Bangladesh (EquityBD) and Network on Climate Change Bangladesh (NCCB). They said they have 12 international civil society networks also expressed solidarity with them in this campaign, which will also be campaigning in Doha also in their countries on the issue. They are 350.Org from USA; Beyond Copenhagen Collective, Bharitiya Jana Vighaan Jatra (BJVJ) and Parivi all these three organizations from India; Jubilee South Asia Pacific Development Movement (JSAPMDD) and People’s Movement on Climate Change (PMCC) from Philippines; Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) from Kenya, Least Development Country (LDC) Watch from Brussels, South Asian Alliance on Poverty Eradication (SAAPE) from Nepal, and Jubilee Debt Campaign and World Development Movement from UK.

US, EU and Rich Countries, Cut Your Emission First

Dhaka, 22nd November 2012. Today seven civil society climate    networks has organized a march from press club to Jatiya Sahid Minar (National Language Movement Monument) on the eve of upcoming Doha Climate Conference to be held in Doha, Qatar during November 26 to December 7 and organized a rally there, they have demanded that UU, EU and Rich Countries to Cut their emission first, they have also demanded reparations as climate debt, not as loan and assistance.

The network are Bangladesh Poribesh Anodolon (BAPA), Bangladesh Indigenous People Network on Climate Change and Bio Diversity (BIPNetCCBD), Climate Change and Development Forum (CCDF), Climate Finance Governance Network (CFGN), Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihood (CSRL), Equity and Justice Working Group Bangladesh (EquityBD) and Network on Climate Change Banganldesh (NCCB).

They have also urged Bangladesh government delegation, on four key issues which are (i) Not to compromise on equity issues, especially which has raise by BRICS (Brazil, India, China and South Africa) without justice and to uphold interest of climate vulnerable country’s (CVC) interest, (ii) Inclusion of climate migrants right issues in adaptation, loss and damage discourse, (iii) Putting pressure on US, EU and other rich countries to promise a deep cut in carbon emission and (iv) Ensure full transparency, transparency and direct access of Adivasis and local community in all climate funds both in national and international level.

Online Media Coverage:

The Daily Star

New Age

Financial Express

Equitybd web link  

Rights Groups Protested WB in Climate Resilience Fund

Dhaka, 15th November 2012. Today four civil society right groups climate networks and twelve 

organization has organized a human chain and rally in front of national press club in Dhaka and protested recent announcement of World Bank (WB) control over climate resilience fund, and also criticize government’s dubious role or slippage of earlier position of ownership on the fund.

They have demanded that both Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund (BCCRF) and Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF) should come under a single autonomous board, must be with democratic ownership. As they stated democratic ownership means taking representation from both party in power and opposition and also from the victim population. 

The rally has participated by Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihood (CSRL), Climate Finance Governance Network (CFGN), Equity and Justice Working Group Bangladesh (EquityBD), Network on Climate Change Bangladesh (NCCB), Arpon, Bangladesh Bhumihin Somity, Bangladesh Krishok Federation, Surakkha and Agrogoti Foundation, Jatiya Sramik Jote, Nature Campaign Bangladesh, Manush Manusher Jonny, Unnayan Dhara Trust, Self Development, Udayan Bangladesh, United People Trust, On Line Knowledge Trust. The rally was moderated by Mustafa Kamal Akanda of EquityBD; among the speakers are Joyanta Acharjya, Badrul Alam, Subol Sarker, Nurul Amin, Mizanur Rahman Bijoy and Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of EquityBD. They have carried a banner, which stated that “WB control on BCCRF is a disaster for vulnerable communities; Government must follow Prime Minister declared position. Bangladesh does not want to a bad precedence for other countries on accepting WB control in climate fund”.

Media Coverage

Equitybd web link