Youth demand fair and sustainable finance ahead of COP30
In the lead‑up to COP30, youth leaders and climate advocates gathered in Dhaka today (8 November) to call for an equitable, transparent, and sustainable finance awareness campaign for Bangladesh, one of the world's most climate‑vulnerable countries.
Hosted under the banner "Fair Finance Now: Bangladesh's Call Before COP30," the campaign featured a public demonstration and a mime performance, illustrating how investment decisions affect environmental and social outcomes. Youth participants engaged with the public through placards and creative messages urging responsible financial flows toward renewable energy, social inclusion, and climate resilience.
The event was organised by the Fair Finance Bangladesh Coalition, Oxfam in Bangladesh, Participatory Research and Action Network (PRAAN), and Democratic Budget Movement, with support from youth‑led and community organisations including Prochesta Youth Foundation, Shouhardo Youth Foundation, Amra e Agami, and Shawon Mime Academy.
Despite requiring $12.5 billion annually to adapt to climate impacts and transition to low‑carbon development, Bangladesh currently receives less than 11% of its climate finance needs. Speakers emphasised that without fair financing mechanisms, the burden of climate adaptation falls disproportionately on vulnerable communities.
Mosleh Uddin Suchak, project coordinator of the Participatory Research and Action Network, said, "Climate finance is not charity – it is a justice issue. Bangladesh cannot build resilience while bearing financial risks for a crisis it did not create."
The initiative aims to enhance public understanding of sustainable finance, strengthen youth participation in policy advocacy, and amplify Bangladesh's demand for accessible, grant‑based climate finance at COP30.
The speakers also said, "Climate finance is not a donation, it is a question of fairness. It is immoral to put the financial burden of a crisis that Bangladesh did not create on our shoulders. A responsible global economy is needed for a sustainable future."
They raised three demands: raising awareness among the general public about sustainable finance; ensuring youth participation in the climate policy‑making process; strengthening Bangladesh's demand for accessible and grant‑based climate finance at the COP30 conference.
The event concluded with a call for continued collaboration among government, financial institutions, and civil society to ensure Bangladesh's transition toward a fair, resilient, and sustainable economy.