As COP30 entered its high-level segment at Belem in Brazil, Bangladesh urged world leaders on Wednesday to deliver urgent, equitable and accountable climate action.

Speaking for the country, Mohammad Navid Safiullah, deputy head of the delegation and additional secretary at Environment Ministry, warned that climate change is already pushing millions of Bangladeshis to the brink.

“Climate change is not a future scenario; it is a daily reality,” he said, citing extreme heat, erratic rainfall, floods, intensifying cyclones, rising sea levels and salinity intrusion that are displacing communities and damaging livelihoods.

Despite contributing less than 0.5% of global emissions, Safiullah emphasized that Bangladesh is “choosing leadership, responsibility and hope.”

He highlighted several national initiatives, including the NDC 3.0 aligned with the Global Stocktake, targeting 20% renewable electricity by 2030 and 25% by 2035; significant methane reduction in agriculture and waste; implementation of National Adaptation Plan with 113 priority actions and the launch of a long-term low-emission development strategy.

Referencing the Paris Agreement’s equity principles, Safiullah called on developed nations to lead with “urgent, deep emission cuts” and significantly scaled-up climate support.

He urged a tripling of adaptation finance to $120 billion annually, prioritizing funds that enhance resilience, adaptation and loss and damage responses.

He also stressed the importance of aligning global financial flows with climate-resilient pathways under Article 2.1(c) of the Paris Agreement, emphasizing that such efforts must support sustainable development in vulnerable countries rather than hinder it.

Citing the Global Stocktake and the 2025 International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion, Safiullah underlined the binding obligations of nations to mitigate climate change, prevent harm and support vulnerable states.

“For countries like Bangladesh, this is not diplomacy; this is survival,” he told delegates, urging collective courage to protect future generations.

The high-level segment of COP30 continues this week as negotiations focus on climate finance, mitigation pathways, adaptation targets and operationalizing the Loss and Damage Fund.