- Sheikh Hasina co-founded the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), and developed the Energy Efficiency Conservation Master Plan (EECMP) to address the country’s dire air pollution.
- Through international support, the CCAC has made significant progress in reducing short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), and through an integrated vision the EECMP has improved energy efficiency in Bangladesh.
- Hasina’s administration has also faced significant challenges concerning transparency of the policy’s development due to weak institutional frameworks.
Why is Sheikh Hasina MILD?
Answer: Despite notable efforts and successes, challenges remain in enforcement, public perception and stakeholder engagement, impacting the overall effectiveness and reception.
Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for five consecutive terms, has been a pivotal leader in addressing climate change, notably co-founding the CCAC in 2012 and spearheading the EECMP. Her initiatives aim to tackle severe environmental issues, including air pollution in Bangladesh, positioning the country as a proactive player in global climate action.
The CCAC is committed to reducing SLCP emissions through a decrease of black carbon emissions by 72% and methane by 37% by 2040. Under the CCAC, funding has allowed for the development of projects including the Low Emission Development for Bangladesh’s Dairy Sector (2020), Reducing Methane Emissions from Paddy Rice (2014), and Technical Assistance for Brick Kiln Financing (2017). Moreover, the EECMP is aimed at enhancing energy efficiency and reducing energy consumption levels by 20% compared to 2013.
Sheikh Hasina’s efforts have garnered international praise, including the prestigious Champions of the Earth Award, reflecting her commitment to positioning Bangladesh as a leader in climate action. Moreover, these policies have led to the emergence of new dedicated departments for climate change and improved techniques and measures to reduce SLCP emissions in key sectors, such as agriculture.
While initiatives like the EECMP highlight significant steps forward, enforcement issues and the voluntary nature of some measures have hindered their full impact. Urban areas, especially in the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, continue to grapple with severe air pollution, indicating that the policy’s reach and effectiveness have been only partial. The policy’s mixed success can also be attributed to the lack of transparency and public awareness. Not enough people are informed about the policy, making it difficult to gauge its real-world impact.
What is changing Sheikh Hasina’s heat level?
Answer: The potential to strengthen climate investment, however the lack of public awareness and institutional frameworks may threaten the policy’s development.
Bangladesh has the potential to strengthen climate investment for air pollution due to Sheikh Hasina’s passionate stance on the issue and the active pressure faced; however, a lack of transparency, the absence of institutional frameworks, and the lack of public awareness threaten this notion. National and international support for Bangladesh has the potential to increase due to the critical point of the climate crisis as well as Sheikh Hasina’s willingness to lead a sustainable agenda.
Through the CCAC, Sheikh Hasina has been able to secure a more distinct position as an individual determined to fight climate change – gaining more international support. This is visible through her various environmental awards, as well as the entities helping the Bangladeshi administration with financial and institutional support in the CCAC and the EECMP.
However, the lack of institutional frameworks threaten the further development of the policies as they hinder larger scale activities. As part of the CCAC, an efficiency brick kiln project was implemented. While effective at first, large enforcement issues and lack of public support and consultation reversed the progress made. Technical capacity in Bangladesh is also quite limited, impeding more significant progress from being made. While technical and financial support from outside entities is helping, more concrete efforts are needed to secure more solid plans.
What is driving Sheikh Hasina?
Answer: Sheikh Hasina is driven by her ambition to achieve socio-economic prosperity for Bangladesh (national transformation); particularly in the wake of increased pressure and vulnerability of the country in terms of climate change.
As an extension of Vision 2021, Sheikh Hasina has continuously envisioned and advocated for a prosperous Bangladesh, particularly as a means of memorialising her family’s legacy. Moreover, the worsening climate crisis in Bangladesh, particularly the surmounting deaths of individuals has developed into an unconditional motive for Sheikh Hasina to address air pollution and raise awareness on energy efficiency. According to a World Bank report, 272,00 premature deaths occur in Bangladesh annually due to pollution.
Furthermore, Sheikh Hasina’s leadership in climate initiatives is significantly driven by her aim to uphold and enhance Bangladesh’s reputation on the international stage.
One of the significant milestones is Bangladesh’s achievement of lower-middle-income status ahead of its target. The country reached this status in 2015, a testament to its rapid economic growth and development. This progress has been crucial in shaping Bangladesh’s international image as a resilient and forward-thinking nation.
Under the CCAC and as a founding member, Bangladesh collaborates with over 160 governments and organisations to reduce SLCMP. This involvement not only addresses critical environmental issues but also reinforces Bangladesh’s image as a committed player in global climate initiatives. Bangladesh has launched comprehensive plans such as the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2022-2050 and the Delta Plan 2100, which aim to enhance climate resilience and sustainable development.
These plans involve significant investments and international partnerships, including support from the World Bank and other international bodies, to implement adaptive strategies against climate vulnerabilities.
Sheikh Hasina’s motivation extends beyond immediate environmental concerns. By positioning Bangladesh as a leader in climate action, she aims to secure international support and investment, ensuring the country’s socio-economic stability and growth. This strategic move helps Bangladesh attract global attention and resources, essential for its continued development and resilience.
What does this mean for you?
Answer: Sheikh Hasina’s role in promoting sustainable policies, particularly through the active role of Bangladesh in the CCAC, is allowing Bangladesh to grow in relevance in climate leadership while simultaneously setting the path for other developing countries to follow suit.
Sheikh Hasina has shown outstanding leadership in introducing policies, strategies, and frameworks that have shaped the future of Bangladesh into a more sustainable path. Bangladesh exemplifies leadership in their environmental plans; leading in the submission of National Action Plans, drafting numerous policies, and assisting other climate-vulnerable countries through the exchange of ideas and climate-pertinent knowledge.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been vocal about the disproportionate impact of climate change on her country, despite its minimal contribution to global emissions. Sheikh Hasina has repeatedly emphasised this issue on international platforms. For instance, at the UN General Assembly, she highlighted the urgent need for developed countries to fulfil their financial commitments, including the $100 billion annual fund promised to assist vulnerable nations. She also pointed out the necessity of operationalizing loss and damage funds as agreed in COP27 to support countries like Bangladesh that are bearing the brunt of climate change.
Furthermore, Hasina has stressed Bangladesh’s proactive measures, such as establishing the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund in 2009, financed by its own resources to aid in climate adaptation efforts.. Despite these initiatives, she has expressed frustration over the lack of action from developed countries in fulfilling their climate commitments.
While, as exemplified by her mild level, the air pollution policies occasionally suffer from institutional lags and the absence of correct implementation, Sheikh Hasina has justly shifted the climate narrative in Bangladesh from one of vulnerability to prosperity. Through her endorsement of the SDGs, she has been able to emphasise their applicability to all countries, not only those with extensive experience and resources.
IExRAIA Summer Research Program:
This article is based on a report about Sheikh Hasina produced as part of an RAIA research program on climate leaders. For a full picture of Hasina’s climate leadership read the full report.
This project was fully financed by IE University’s IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs.
Authors: Mariana Gamez and Aimee Wolff
Editor: Ruby Hawari
Project Lead: Francia Morales
Disclaimer:
The RAIA Team would like to inform the reader that this article was researched and written between May and July 2024, preceding the zenith of Bangladesh’s student protests and ultimate exile of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. This report is additionally not written as an assessment of Hasina’s democratic legitimacy, and makes an objective assessment of the climate change-related policies that she promoted during her time as prime minister of Bangladesh.
For this reason, therefore, the research heretofore does not include information or analysis regarding the student protests, the eventual transition of power to the current interim government, nor of any ongoing political events within the country. As a consequence, the evaluated impacts of the policies may not reflect their future, now possibly impacted by the current developments in Bangladesh.
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