Rahman calls for 50% of global climate finance to go towards adaptation, urging wealthy nations to ease the debt burden on vulnerable countries.

ANTALYA, Türkiye: Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday called for grants instead of loans for climate-vulnerable countries and urged world leaders to allocate at least half of international climate finance to adaptation.

Speaking at the COP31 UN climate summit in Türkiye’s Antalya, Rahman said the existing global financing system was inadequate and failed to address the needs of developing nations struggling with worsening climate impacts.

“Climate-vulnerable countries need grants, not more loans that increase their debt burdens,” he said, calling for predictable financing, access to modern technologies and stronger support for adaptation.

Rahman presented five proposals aimed at addressing financing gaps, easing debt burdens and accelerating the transition to clean energy.

He urged developed countries to ensure that at least 50 percent of international climate finance goes towards adaptation, based on national priorities, while maintaining support for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

He also called for urgent debt relief measures, including debt-for-climate swaps and climate-resilient debt clauses, to help vulnerable countries respond to climate disasters without taking on further financial burdens.

Other proposals included fair access to climate-friendly technologies, greater technology transfer to developing nations and affordable financing for renewable energy.

Rahman also urged negotiators to adopt the proposed Belém-Antalya Action Mechanism for a just energy transition, with fair financing and trade at its centre.

Bangladesh contributes less than 0.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions but remains highly vulnerable to climate change, facing increasingly severe floods, cyclones, rising sea levels and other extreme weather events.

Rahman said his government was committed to building a trillion-dollar climate-resilient and sustainable economy while balancing industrial growth with environmental protection.

He said Bangladesh aimed to generate 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and was working to develop 4,000 megawatts of solar power through tax incentives.

The government was also promoting electric vehicles, green industries, waste-to-energy projects and environmentally friendly products, while developing a national carbon trading framework, he added.

Rahman outlined plans to plant 250 million trees over five years and excavate or restore 20,000 kilometres of rivers and canals to improve water retention, reduce flooding and replenish groundwater.

He also highlighted plans involving the Padma and Teesta barrages and mangrove restoration in coastal areas to strengthen resilience against climate impacts.

The prime minister called for greater participation of women and young people in climate action, more green jobs and faster global emissions cuts to keep the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree Celsius warming goal within reach.

His appeal comes as climate finance remains a major point of contention at COP31, with developing countries seeking more grant-based funding and stronger commitments from wealthy nations to help communities cope with climate change.