Bangladesh needs better climate projects to unlock global finance: Environment minister

Bangladesh needs to turn its national climate policies and strategies into well-prepared projects, appropriate financing structures and measurable outcomes to secure greater international climate finance, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo has said.

He stressed the need to improve the quality of climate projects through feasibility studies, climate risk assessments, project design and stronger institutional capacity, while calling for greater support from development partners in preparing such projects.

The minister made the remarks at the opening of the Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership (BCDP) Knowledge Conference 2026 in Dhaka today.

He said decisions being made on development today would shape the country's climate risk profile for decades to come. Major development investments, therefore, need to take climate risks into account from the outset.

National frameworks such as the National Adaptation Plan 2023–2050, Bangladesh Delta Plan and NDC 3.0 now need to be translated into implementable programmes and projects, he said.

Project preparation should clearly identify problems and beneficiaries and assess climate risks, technical options, economic benefits, and environmental and social impacts, the minister said.

A large part of climate adaptation projects does not generate direct commercial returns, but such investments deliver important social and public benefits, Mintoo said. Financing structures for these projects should therefore reflect Bangladesh's fiscal capacity and development priorities.

He also stressed the need to encourage private investment in clean energy, resource efficiency, climate-resilient infrastructure and sustainable agriculture.

The two-day conference, organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), has brought together more than 500 climate experts, policymakers, development partners, private-sector representatives, researchers and civil society members from Bangladesh and abroad.

The BCDP web portal was also launched at the conference. The platform is designed to support climate project pipeline management, real-time project monitoring, data integration and coordination among government ministries.

Established in 2024, the BCDP platform is being strengthened to support climate finance mobilisation, resource allocation, policymaking and coordination in project implementation.

Satya Srinivas Lola, ADB executive director for Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Lao PDR, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, said the success of the conference would depend not only on discussions but also on follow-up actions and effective investment.

Large-scale investment from both the public and private sectors is needed to address climate challenges, he said.

The first day of the conference featured sessions on pathways to resilience and low-carbon growth, implementation of the National Adaptation Plan 2023–2050, and financing opportunities for implementing NDC 3.0 through multilateral development banks and public-private investment.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change State Minister Sheikh Faridul Islam, Prime Minister's Special Assistant Dr Md Saimum Parvez, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister's Office ABM Abdus Sattar, acting Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr Fahmida Khanam, and Additional Secretary Mohammad Navid Shafiullah were present at the event.

Also attending were Satya Srinivas Lola of the ADB and more than 500 climate experts, policymakers, development partners, private-sector representatives, researchers and civil society members from Bangladesh and abroad.

The second day will feature technical sessions on de-risking climate investments, developing an investment-friendly project pipeline, and public-private financing structures in the energy, transport and agriculture sectors.