Just climate transition needs finance, technology: Mintoo

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo has called for adequate international financing, technology transfer and capacity-building support to ensure a just transition in tackling climate change, particularly for vulnerable countries such as Bangladesh, at a COP31 discussion in Antalya, Turkiye, on Friday.

He said developed countries must provide predictable, accessible financial support without creating additional debt burdens for climate-vulnerable and least developed countries.

Protecting livelihoods, creating jobs, ensuring social justice and strengthening climate resilience must remain central to climate action so that ordinary people benefit from the transition, he added.

Mintoo made the remarks while addressing a high-level panel discussion titled “From Climate Commitments to Decent Work: Advancing a Just Transition for All” at the official opening of the Just Transition Pavilion in the Blue Zone of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

He said Bangladesh was among the countries most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. For the country, a just transition meant not only shifting towards a low-carbon economy but also protecting the livelihoods of climate-affected people, building resilience and creating employment through environmentally sustainable economic activities.

“No community should be left behind in this process,” he stressed.

The minister said Bangladesh had included a dedicated, costed chapter on Just Transition in its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) Implementation Plan. The chapter was prepared in collaboration with the government, employers, workers' representatives and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The initiative aims to link climate action with job creation, social protection and inclusive economic development, he said.

Mintoo said the government had set a target of generating 20 per cent of the country's total electricity from renewable sources by 2030. The plan includes producing 5,500 megawatts of electricity through rooftop solar installations.

The initiative is expected to create green jobs, develop a skilled workforce and encourage entrepreneurship in the renewable energy sector, he added.

He also said the government had launched a five-year programme to plant 250 million trees, with nearly 36 million saplings already planted. The programme is expected to generate around 350,000 green jobs.

In addition, the government has planned to excavate and restore 20,000 kilometres of canals to support agriculture, fisheries, rural employment and climate resilience.

The minister emphasised that workers, employers, women, young people and climate-vulnerable communities must have meaningful opportunities to participate in decision-making to ensure a just transition.

He also stressed the importance of developing skills to meet changing labour market demands, improving working conditions and strengthening social protection systems.

Particular attention, he said, should be given to employment opportunities in renewable energy, environmentally sustainable industries, climate-resilient agriculture and ecosystem restoration.

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Mintoo further called for affordable financing, modern technology and technical assistance for small and medium-sized enterprises to help them shift to cleaner production systems.

Such changes must be managed carefully to ensure they do not harm existing jobs or undermine the competitiveness of industrial enterprises, he said.

The minister said Bangladesh supported establishing a country-driven, request-based Just Transition Mechanism under the guidance of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA).

He said the proposed mechanism should give particular attention to the needs of least developed and highly climate-vulnerable countries.

He also called for international climate commitments to be translated into practical action that delivers measurable benefits to local communities.

The event was jointly organised by the ILO and the European Commission, in collaboration with the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the UNFCCC.

Moustapha Kamal Gueye, Director of the Policy Coherence Hub at the ILO, moderated the discussion.

Other participants included Auria Kitina, Minister of Employment and Human Resources of Kiribati; Dr Mahmoud Mohieldin, Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General; Joan Carling, Executive Director of Indigenous Peoples Rights International; and representatives of women's and youth organisations.