Youths demand climate finance to fill the loss, damage funding

The protesters call for climate justice.

Dhaka, Sept 20 - More than five hundred young climate activists have demanded that world leaders halt harmful and costly fossil fuel financing and allocate climate funds to address loss and damage, ensuring a sustainable future.

The demand was made during a climate strike organised by Activista Bangladesh, ActionAid Banglades’s youth platform, in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka this morning, said a press release.

As part of the global climate strike calling for climate action and finance, including phasing out fossil fuel financing, expanding renewable energy, and increasing investment in sustainable agriculture, young climate activists took to the streets today.

Over five hundred climate fighters gathered at the Shaheed Minar after starting the rally at the National Press Club. The protest ended with a call for climate justice.

The protesters stated that developed countries are fueling the climate crisis through fossil fuel financing. Their neo-colonial exploitation, war, and human rights abuses are destroying the planet. Over $650 billion is annually subsidized to fossil fuel companies, encouraging greenhouse gas emissions. Developed countries promote these subsidies.

Many businesses contributing to global temperature rise and biodiversity loss receive government subsidies, totaling approximately $2.6 trillion annually, representing 2.5% of global GDP. This disproportionately impacts young people, farmers, women, and marginalized communities in the Global South, increasing their environmental debt. To address this, investment in sustainable projects and renewable energy must be prioritized over fossil fuels.

Thousands of young people from Activista Bangladesh Platform of ActionAid Bangladesh and more than 20 youth organizations attended the Global Climate Strike this time. Activists, volunteers from 19 different districts and 7 localised youth hubs also protested in solidarity with the climate activists across the country by participating in local demonstration in Kushtia, Jamalpur, Netrokona, Mymensingh, Gazipur, Noakhali, Sunamgonj, Chandpur, Khulna, Satkhira, Syamnagar, Kaligonj, Rampal, Bagerhat, Barguna, Kurigram, Teknaf, Rangpur, Chattogram, and Cox’s Bazar.

In this lively and peaceful gathering, young activists along with people from all walks of life demanded climate justice through slogans, placards, figures, songs, plays, posters and street dramas demanding #FundOurFuture #EndFossilFuelFinance #PayUp for #ClimateFinance, #PayUp4LossAndDamage ‘FixTheFinance’, ‘End Fossil Finance Now’, ‘Invest in Renewables’, ‘Stop Financing Harmful Agribusiness’, ‘Climate Justice Now’, and ‘Invest in Agroecology’.

Young climate activist Shimu Sheikh said, “Today, we are fighting to bring an end to fossil finance and focusing more on loss and damage financing. We are being hurt by the profit-hungry mentality of the wealthy countries and corporations. Our future cannot be sacrificed for profit for a few greedy cartels.”

Md. Nazmul Ahsan, Lead-Young People, ActionAid Bangladesh remarked, “We express our solidarity with the voice of young people to divest investment in fossil fuels. We should be on the path of green transition right now for us and for the younger generation. We demand investment to address vulnerability, damage to the most climate-stressed people in Bangladesh and across the globe.”

Bangladesh is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, and every year twice the youth Activistas of ActionAid Bangladesh in solidarity of Friday’s for Future echo the demand of young people for climate justice.

This year they have urged to put an end to investing in fossil fuels rather finance in sustainable projects, renewable energy and agroecological interventions.

They believe their continuous demands for climate crisis solutions will shape the world for generations to come in the realm of achieving climate justice, read the press release.-UNB