British Deputy High Commissioner to Bangladesh Mr. James Goldman paid a courtesy call on the Minister to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Mr. Abdul Awal Mintoo, at his office at the Secretariat today. State Minister to the Ministry Sheikh Faridul Islam was also present during the meeting.
The meeting featured constructive discussions on strengthening cooperation between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom in the areas of environmental protection, sustainable development, pollution control, expansion of renewable energy, carbon credit mechanisms, climate finance, biodiversity conservation and the protection of the Sundarbans.
Welcoming the British Deputy High Commissioner, the Environment Minister stated that Bangladesh highly values its longstanding, friendly, and trusted bilateral relationship with the United Kingdom. He noted that pollution control remains one of the top priorities of the present government. In this regard, the government is implementing a range of initiatives to reduce air, water, and waste pollution across the country.
The Minister further informed that the government is actively working to expedite the waste-to-energy project in Savar. He also sought the United Kingdom’s cooperation in accessing carbon markets and earning carbon credits, noting that the proceeds would be utilized to strengthen Bangladesh’s efforts to address the adverse impacts of climate change.
Highlighting the government’s environmental commitments, he said that under its electoral pledge, the government aims to implement a programme for planting 250 million trees over the next five years. He also underscored the importance of strengthening conservation activities in the Sundarbans and enhancing capacity, training, and investment to address salinity challenges in the coastal regions.
The British Deputy High Commissioner expressed interest in further expanding ongoing cooperation with Bangladesh in the environment, forestry, and climate sectors. He emphasized the importance of enhanced collaboration and coordinated initiatives on issues of mutual interest between the two countries.
Senior officials of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, including the Secretary and the Additional Secretary (Climate Change), as well as senior officials from the British High Commission in Dhaka, were present at the meeting.