 Aloha and welcome to Cooper Union. What's happening with human rights around the world? And we're reporting live from COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland. We're focusing today on climate vulnerable nations demanding justice and the coalition that's insisting on 1.5 to stay alive. It's an honor to have special envoy with us here today. Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. Thank you very much. Could you share with us some of the priorities of the climate vulnerable forum? I know with this climate vulnerable forum, it's a forum of 55 countries. The encouraging information is on the very first day of this COP26, we were 48. On the first day, seven new countries joined this climate vulnerable forum. So now we are 55. Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Shekhar Sinha, she is the president of this CVF. And it's a 10 year or four, two years. This climate vulnerable forum, you know, from its name means that we all are vulnerable for the climate. So how we are going to utilize this COP26 for the benefit of the vulnerable countries. You see, before joining this COP, this 48 countries, they're very serious. Last about six months, we had the regional meetings, four regional meetings we had. That is the Latin American region, Africa and Middle East region, Pacific region and also Asia. We discussed with all these 48 countries, what is their demand, what they asked for this COP26. So we prepared a document which is called DACA Glasgow declaration. So this document consists of the rather you can say the issues of climate vulnerable forum countries, what they want to achieve from this COP26. I will mention very briefly, later on, if necessary, I can put in detail also that the first one is the 1.5 degree. From last 2020, September, on Prime Minister Shekhar Sinha as the CVF chair, she called on all the countries to have their enhanced NDC, because you know, last year, 30th December was the last day for declaration of enhanced NDC. But unfortunately, we find that these NDC enhancement was not very satisfactory. And this year, in August, we find the IPCC report that shows much more devastating facts. So it made the CVF country much more curious, much more demanding outcome from the COP26. So number one demand is 1.5 degree. So the developed country, especially because they are the most emitting country, they need to commit in such a way that the globe sees 1.5 degree. You see, with this 1.2 degree at present, how vulnerable the globe is. This year, the Germans club, the Canadian heat waves, and also forest wildfires, in Siberia also, we see the smokes. So this is taking the globe towards a unreturnable position. So now this 1.5 degree, the second point we were telling that each year, we need to have the opportunity to declare the enhanced commitment. What is that? In COP26 agreement, we thought that, okay, in each five years, all the country will have their enhanced NDC. But seeing the devastating fact of which has been unveiled by the IPCC report, now, we thought that now time is very less, we need to act very quickly. If we have opportunity to enhance declaration in 2025, that will be too late for 2030. So now we raise the demand that each year there should be a platform that each of the country, and especially the emitting country, they can have their declaration. Maybe that will not be possible for the complete NDC, but in any form of commitment, it may be commitment of enhanced finance, maybe commitment of reducing the carbon, reducing the ammonia and all this. The third point we are telling that is the 500 billion dollar. So why 500? Earlier, it was decided that 100 billion per year by 2020. We all know, unfortunately, the developed country, those who were supposed to accumulate this fund, 100 billion dollar, they failed. They failed to do it. Maximum, it was 80 billion. So in 2020, they failed in 2021 also, they are failing. So now we are asking the developed country, okay, 21, 23, 24, you need to commit more so that you can mend this 500 billion dollar. Along with this, the issue of the accessibility towards funds, some of the developing country, they cannot access funds. The green climate fund and other funds, those who had the green funds, but unfortunately, the system is so cumbersome, some of the country, they have no capacity. And we are demanding that the system should be much more easy so that they can have the access. Same time, the demand for adaptation, we all know the developing country, they need much more fund on adaptation rather than the mitigation. So we demanded that 50, 50, 50 percent for the adaptation, 50 percent for mitigation. Alongside, our demand continues with the loss and damage. Some years ago, network for loss and damage, that should be a better dividend for these vulnerable countries. So with these issues, we are in the cop with this DACA glass body clarification. So far, what would you say are some of the highlights that you've seen in the first week and then leading up to these final 48 hours? Normally, it happens that last 48 hours is the most important time, the last 24 hours. So we are in the last leg. So far, I was discussing with some of our senior colleagues, they were telling, so far, the result is not satisfactory. So far, the big achievements we did not find, but they are not hopeless. We are not also hopeless. We think that, yes, much more achievement could be from this cop because this cop is a special type of cop. It is happening after two years and it is happening in the midst of the COVID. So the expectation is different. Special commitment for 100 billion, 500 billion, we did not find so many enthusiasm in this, but we need to be realistic because the developed country, the multilateral development banks and the relations are bilateral. So these grooms in this cop and delivery comes later on. So some people, if they think that at the end of the cop, we will fill our bags with money and go back to home, that is an impossible proposition. So we put our demand, we put the justification and I believe this time, after the US returning back in Paris Agreement, they created so many enthusiasm and yesterday, joint declaration of China and the USA, it made further enthusiasm among all the developed countries. And some developed countries, they committed small funds for adaptation, small funds for different activities and these are also giving synergy effect, I understand. So I think this cop next 24 hours will deliver much more and at the end, obviously, we will be back with rather good experience looking forward for further better in future. Excellent. When we look at the last 24 hours that's coming up and you look at what's happened, how close are we to the 1.5? I know Secretary General Guterres sent back the NDCs and asked people to revise them. Do you think we're getting close to 1.5 or how do you think that will show up in the next 48 hours? No, still not, still not. But again, I'm telling that I'm optimistic, optimistic in this sense because the IPCC report has been discussed in different side events in this COP also. And I understand the countries, those who emit more, they will come to their sense, they will understand that how much carbon they emit and what devastation is being happening and going to happen. This will bring them in sense and as because this is not the platform to have their enhanced NDC. I understand that any time, as per the very segment, any time a country can have their enhanced declaration, we strongly believe, especially the CDF country, we strongly believe that the developed country, they will come back very soon with their enhanced declaration. Excellent. And do you think we were able to rebuild confidence in international climate cooperation and accelerated adaptation? And how has the climate emergency pact been developing so far with the push by the Climate Vulnerable Forum? You have rightly identified the issue. This is the place where we achieve the best because you see the synergic effects, the moral courage, the issue of handling all the vulnerable issues together. I understand that this will give the whole globe a very dynamic, reasonable, timely opportunities to bring back our nature, the mother earth. Wonderful. And we know leading up to this, there were two important meetings that you were able to have huge impacts at the IUCN, the Climate Crisis Commission, and maybe you could share about how that was coming along in Marseille. You see the issues of this IUCN global temperature rising, the issues of the vulnerability bringing back the nature. You see all the issues have been discussed and being discussed in this COP26. And you know we had the chairs not yesterday, today also. And the final version will come up tomorrow which will reflect the aspirations of all the countries. I want to share one piece of information that the civil society, so many civil society organizations, they were putting their demand and like other COP, they also come up in one platform. Yesterday I was hearing that 250, 300 organizations, they have assembled with the demands of 1.5, 50, 50, 500 billion or 100 billion each year, all these. So this afternoon, the civil society organization, they handed over a document to us which is about 400 organizations, they gathered together with these views. So I understand that we are in the same board, same platform, putting our demands in a strong voice which will be able to reach to the countries those I meet tomorrow. So it's exciting to see the strong civil society coming together, calling for a strong moral architecture with the climate vulnerable forum nations. It's a very strong coalition for a stronger future and a healthy planet. Exactly. We also discussed with the LDC, Bangladesh is the LDC country, you know again, G7 plus China, AOC, small island countries. So we are discussing in different platforms of different forum. You know climate vulnerable forum, it is not a negotiating agency, it is not a negotiating platform rather it advocates for the different issues as I mentioned. So the role of CDF is much more helpful for all these negotiating groups so that we put them some same information, bringing them in the same platform, giving them much more encouragement going together and working together to achieve more. Yes, no, and it's exciting to see how everyone comes together to then come together for a common vision. Maybe the other side that people aren't aware of is how is climate crisis impacting the people of Bangladesh where you live at home? So they understand why this is such an existential threat and really a life or death issue. You know Bangladesh exactly is a very climate event strong country. Last year we had about four or five big floods along with the cyclone Amphan. You know how Bangladesh has become so resilient in 1917 we had a cyclone Gorky, cyclone Bola. So that caused one million lives, believe me one million lives. The same magnitude cyclone last year named Amphan, it could cause only not more than 50 lives. We understand that a single life is very indelible. But you see from one million to 50, from one million to less than 100, how it could be possible? Yes, Bangladesh is a resilient country, vulnerable. But now our on-road prime minister who is again the chair of the CVF, she declared a plan which you call Muzib, prosperity, climate prosperity plan. Same possible proposition it seems like, that climate is vulnerability. How climate can be a prosperity plan. So we think Bangladesh as we had the climate trust fund that we passed climate trust fund from our own money. We spent a huge amount of money indeed through this climate trust fund. Each year not less than $5 billion we spent for the climate causes. So with the holistic approach involving both public sector and private sector, we prepared a plan which we called climate prosperity plan. And it is named after the nation, Muzib climate prosperity plan. And the very encouraging thing is this, that 37 countries of this climate vulnerable forum, they are also now encouraged. They showed their interest that they want to have similar type of climate prosperity plan. Here, that we need to turn the challenges into opportunities. Obviously, we don't contribute in this climate degradation. But unfortunately, we have the worst heat country of this climate disadvantages. Likewise, all the climate vulnerable countries. So we need to look into how best we can utilize our resources for research, for mitigating the issues which can turn the challenges into opportunities. So we will be asking the global so the development partners also the multinational banks also to put their resources there for the common people. That's an excellent point. Can you think of one or two other examples of learning from each other in the climate vulnerable forum that they were in this case, seeing the excellent promising practice you were doing in Bangladesh. But when you meet, have you heard other things from maybe Marshall Islands or other countries that were also positive things you could bring home as well to help improve Bangladesh? I can cite one example from Bangladesh again. Let me share you with one adaptation practice. What happened in our country? We have very less quantity of land. You know, 165 million people having per square kilometer about 1250 percent. Believe me, per square kilometer, 1250 percent. Very less land for our food production. So what happened once a research was going on, that how best the peri-field above the peri rice field, there can be some tripling vegetables. So putting a structure on it, but not the whole land keeping some gap so that sunlight can enter. So we had the two storied agriculture. Okay. Then what happened? One researcher, he started putting solar panel above the tripling structure. So we can restore it. Now, another researcher, he thought that okay, in our country, we used to face floods very frequently. So a huge quantity of land is under water. Last year, the second, that with continuous flooding, they were not getting the land for the seedlings of rice. So what they did? They made a raft, putting the river widths, putting some mud on it and put the seedlings. So in the water, there is fish. On the water, there is a raft. On the raft, there are crops. And above the raft, there is a structure with people's vegetables and above that the solar. So you can say for a story. So we need to innovate. That is very sustainable and also innovative. It shows the ingenuity of indigenous peoples and peoples around the world that we can solve this situation and more importantly make sure that we have enough for everyone on earth. Exactly. We need to bring prosperity from our limited resources. If you consider the global resources, these are also being limited. And the present globe consumes almost what it produces. So what is next? We used to tell always that we need to give back this planet to our children from whom we borrowed it. But are we doing the right thing? Are we competent enough to give back the same planet which we got for our children? So these types of innovative solutions, I believe this may bring some prosperity, some new opportunities. But we should not forget about 1.5, not forget 500 billion, 50-50. And what our Prime Minister said as the CVF President, that we need to act now. No lip service. No lip service. Not only commitment, but you need to act. And you need to act today. Some people say we need to act. So we need to act today, not tomorrow. This is the quote from our Prime Minister that acts today. No, and maybe one action that did happen that shows there is momentum is the UN Human Rights Council did adopt the UN Special Operator for Climate Change. Do you think that will be a positive tool to help as we go forward? You have raised a very valid issue. Yes, we demanded that human rights report here in Human Rights Commission. There should be a report here on the climate. And these have been accepted. We are going to put one report here very soon. I understand this is the recognition of the vulnerable countries that it creates an opportunity for raising voice. And in that platform also, that may help us in achieving the issues which we are fighting for. Excellent. And I know we're getting close to the end of time. And I really do appreciate you making time right there in the middle of the negotiations. So right now, it is 7 o'clock at night. So in 24 hours, we should have a result. What do you think we'll see on the paper? What would you hope to see just 24 hours from now as the clock is counting down? I'm very optimistic. You see, we are negotiating for last 26 years. It's more. So we have achieved, but we need to achieve much more. So today is good. Tomorrow is better. That is excellent. And when you return, what will be some of the areas that you will then take to continue the hard work that you've been doing? What do you think are some of the things? Dhaka Glasgow declaration, which I mentioned. Today also, we discussed with Ghana. Ghana is the next president of the Climate Vulnerable Forum. You know, Climate Vulnerable Forum, it stands with a trike, the president, past and future. So Ghana will take over the presidency of CBF in next May. So we took them in our forum. We discussed with them also, of how best we can take forward the agenda of this Dhaka Glasgow declaration so that we can present a better world to our future generation. And Ghana, along with Marshall Allen, who is the first president, we are working hard. And we are committed that we will work very seriously on implementation of this Dhaka Glasgow declaration. Thank you again so much. And we look forward to seeing you tomorrow evening. And hopefully it will be as positive as you're saying. But I think what you really bring up with the Climate Vulnerable Forum is how much work it takes. And it's that commitment to social change to make sure that we look at the Paris Agreement, but also the 2030 agenda of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Exactly. Looking into the SDG, again, the Climate Prosperity Plan in our country, we have the 10 years plan of climate prosperity, which will again help in achieving the SDG goals. And, you know, this year, the study of the UN and also the SDSN shows that Bangladesh achieved in SDG best. So the best achievement, it came from, again, some of the issues of climate vulnerability and bringing this towards prosperity. Once again, Special Envoy, thank you so much for making time in the final 24 hours of the negotiations. We wish you all the best and we'll see you in the halls of the Blue Zone. And we hope that the Blue Zone will also be a blue Pacific and we'll have a blue economy and a much better world going forward. And it is interesting because Glasgow is maybe where James White created the steam engine and many other things, but maybe this is the chance that the world will have a new vision of what matters most for all of us. Thank you very much. Thank you for your time. Aloha. Bye. Bye.