Failing to reach agreement in Paris will be disastrous

Reaching a legally binding agreement to reduce carbon emission in the 21st session of climate change summit, to be held in Paris, is a must to avoid upcoming disastrous situation, said Philippe Zeller, French ambassador at large for climate change negotiations for Asia and Oceania.

At a workshop on "Climate Risk and Popular Perception" held at the residence of the French ambassador yesterday, Phillippe said the summit would face three major challenges -- reaching a legally binding agreement, getting commitments from individual countries to cut carbon emission, and reaching a financial treaty to raise and collect fund.

Pierre Mayaudon, ambassador and head of the European Union delegation, emphasised that all the financial institutions in Bangladesh dealing with climate change funds have to be made credible and transparent.

Merete Lundemo, Norwegian ambassador to Bangladesh, and Ashadul Islam, additional secretary, Economic Relations

Division, were also present while Golam Rabbani  from Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies presented a study titled "People's Perception on Climate Change Impacts in Bangladesh: Expectations from Paris Climate Negotiation".

Women and children, economically poor people, and farmers were presented as the most vulnerable population group in the country.

Maruful Islam, associate professor of Dhaka University, discussed worldwide views on climate change and energy. Dr Saleemul Haque, director, International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), and Prof Ainun Nishat, former vice chancellor of Brac University, also spoke.