Experts demand major polluters provide climate grants not loans

Bangladesh needs an estimated $1.4 billion to implement its five-year National Health Adaptation Plan (HNAP) for 2026-2031, as climate change increasingly threatens public health, health infrastructure and essential services.

Three Bangladeshi civil society organisations have called for predictable, accessible and primarily grant-based international climate finance to help the country address these growing health risks.

They have also urged major greenhouse gas emitters to make substantial and measurable emissions cuts before 2030 and publicly report their progress every year.

The demands were made at a joint press conference held on Saturday night on the sidelines of the ongoing COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye.

The event was organised by the Climate Justice Forum (CJF), the Organisation for Socio-Economic Development (AOSED) and the Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3ER) of BRAC University.

The organisations said developed countries must ensure predictable and easily accessible funding for climate mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage.

They also stressed the need to involve least developed countries, small island states and climate-vulnerable communities in climate planning, financial oversight and assessments of whether funding is reaching those most at risk.

$1.4 billion needed for health adaptation

According to a C3ER study, Bangladesh's HNAP 2026-2031 requires an estimated $1.4 billion to strengthen the country's health system against climate change.

The plan prioritises keeping healthcare facilities operational during floods, improving early detection of climate-sensitive diseases and preparing health workers to respond to extreme heat.

The study, released at BRAC Centre in Dhaka on 17 October, identified four potential sources of financing.

Of the required amount, $380 million could come from domestic government budget allocations, while another $360 million could be mobilised through investments in health-related sectors such as safe water, sanitation, drainage and flood-resilient infrastructure.

Together, these domestic sources could provide $740 million, covering around 53 percent of the total requirement.

The remaining $660 million is expected to come from development partners ($520 million) and international climate funds ($140 million). The figures represent potential financing targets identified by the study.

Roufa Khanum, assistant director of C3ER, said Bangladesh could mobilise $740 million domestically through government budget allocations, health sector revenues and cross-sectoral investments in water, sanitation and a healthy environment.

However, international assistance would be essential to meet the remaining funding requirement.

She stressed that Bangladesh should secure $140 million in grants from international climate funds to strengthen its healthcare system without increasing the country's debt burden.

"Predictable, accessible and grant-based support is essential to turn adaptation commitments into reality and protect the health of people in climate-vulnerable countries like Bangladesh," she said.

The study identified four priority areas that would account for 69 percent, or $966 million, of the total HNAP expenditure.

These include $350 million for climate-resilient and low-carbon health infrastructure, technology and supply systems; $266 million for risk monitoring and early warning systems; $210 million for strengthening the capacity of health workers; and $140 million for leadership and governance.

Potential sources of international grants include the Green Climate Fund, the Adaptation Fund and the Least Developed Countries Fund.

C3ER also recommended forming a task force under the Ministry of Health, introducing climate risk assessments for new health projects and establishing separate budget codes to track climate-related and health-sector spending.

Major emitters urged to cut emissions before 2030

The organisations said adaptation financing would help Bangladesh strengthen its capacity to address existing health risks, but preventing those risks from worsening would require rapid emissions reductions by major polluting countries.

Md Salah Uddin, knowledge management team lead at AOSED, said major emitters must move beyond long-term net-zero pledges and deliver meaningful, measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions before 2030.

He called for stronger short-term climate targets, publicly disclosed implementation plans with sector-specific emissions reduction financing, and an end to new policies and initiatives that increase dependence on fossil fuels.

Major emitting countries should publish their actual annual emissions reductions, explain any failure to meet their targets and disclose corrective measures to address the shortfalls, he said.

Emissions data should be publicly accessible and subject to independent review, he added, warning that carbon credits must not become an excuse for continued pollution.

The organisations also stressed that the energy transition must protect land rights, ensure decent employment and guarantee access to affordable electricity.

They said responsibility for cutting emissions should rest primarily with countries that bear greater historical responsibility, are currently the largest emitters and have the capacity to take effective action.

The three organisations urged the COP31 final decisions to clearly outline what major emitters will do before 2030, how their progress will be independently assessed and when climate-vulnerable countries will receive the funding needed to implement priority plans such as Bangladesh's HNAP.