# How does Climate Diplomacy accelerate Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in the Global South? Bangladesh Perspective November 03, 2025 Mohammad Tarikul Islam - [ Blog ](/news-categories/blog) In light of increasing evidence of the impacts of climate change, it is perceived as one of the foremost challenges of the 21st century. There is a growing apprehension worldwide that reaching the consensus and commitment necessary to take action requires positioning climate change within a broader foreign policy context. [Addressing the climate change challenge](https://pressxpress.org/2022/04/08/climate-negotiations-how-can-bangladesh-deliver-best/) requires new thinking in foreign policy. There is an increasing realization in the international community that, in today’s increasingly interconnected world, traditional diplomatic instruments are often ineffective in addressing global threats. [Climate diplomacy](https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/southasia/2018/03/31/climate-negotiations-how-does-bangladesh-fare/) is also characterized by complex linkages between foreign and domestic policy and politics, and the connection between foreign and domestic policy is inherent in environmental diplomacy. It helps to bring new actors to the fore. Successful environmental diplomacy demands a cooperative, multilateral approach. Healthy competition for the mantle of international environmental leadership is needed to reinvigorate global environmental diplomacy. Environmental issues are increasingly intertwined with other more traditional areas of foreign relations, including trade and investment, development, human rights, and even military security. [The goal of climate change diplomacy](https://pressxpress.org/2022/04/08/climate-negotiations-how-can-bangladesh-deliver-best/) is to persuade international governments and/or multilateral organisations to adopt specific climate change policies. By collaborating with international partners to support national efforts in climate change adaptation and mitigation, diplomacy has become a crucial component of international relations. The relevance of climate change as a major [new area of high-level international diplomacy](https://journalijecc.com/index.php/IJECC/article/view/104) is increasing. This poses a significant problem for Bangladesh, a developing nation that is particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. Established alliances and procedures are hard-pressed to be effective against a threat such as climate change when the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is not the ambition of any “unreceptive” influence. in order to address the climate change challenge, it requires new thinking in foreign policy—thinking that considers engagement on climate change not only in the sphere of environment, but also outside the milieu container. Science (climate scientists) and politics (diplomats and foreign ministry officials) may not always speak the same language, but climate diplomacy inevitably brings them together into a [“marriage of convenience”.](https://pressxpress.org/2022/04/08/climate-negotiations-how-can-bangladesh-deliver-best/) [Climate diplomacy aims](https://journalijecc.com/index.php/IJECC/article/view/104) to influence foreign governments and/or multilateral institutions towards specific policies, and it appears to have clearly emerged as an integral component of international relations, complementing national efforts through partnerships with international affiliations in mitigating and adapting to climate change. Climate change is emerging as a significant new arena of global diplomacy at the highest levels. [The ostensible goal of Western foreign policy](https://pressxpress.org/2022/04/08/climate-negotiations-how-can-bangladesh-deliver-best/) is to provide stability and security as a foundation for human well-being, global freedom, and prosperity. However, in today’s increasingly interconnected world, traditional diplomatic instruments are often ineffective in addressing global threats. Established alliances and procedures are hard-pressed to be effective against a threat such as climate change, when the cause (greenhouse gas emissions) is not the ambition of any one “hostile” power. Addressing the climate change challenge requires new thinking in foreign policy—thinking that considers engagement on climate change not only in the environmental sphere, but also outside the traditional environmental box. As a developing country that is particularly vulnerable to the adverse [impacts of climate change this presents a challenge for Bangladesh](https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/southasia/2018/03/31/climate-negotiations-how-does-bangladesh-fare/). At the same time, as the country gains knowledge about the issue and starts to tackle it in earnest, it also represents an opportunity for it to play a leading role in the international diplomatic arena. To make the most of such opportunities, the different ministries of the governments of both countries will need to enhance their capacities in the area of climate diplomacy. Bangladesh is a middle-income deltaic country in South Asia, formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers. The country enjoys a humid, warm, tropical climate. Its climate is influenced primarily by monsoon and partly by pre-monsoon and post-monsoon circulations. There is an increasing realization in the international community that achieving the consensus and commitment needed to take action requires positioning climate change in a broader foreign policy context. [Bangladesh](https://journalijecc.com/index.php/IJECC/article/view/104) is one of the countries most severely impacted by the effects of climate change. Natural calamities and minor environmental changes jeopardize the livelihoods of many Bangladeshi farmers. Migration is a way of adapting to these changes. Migration is frequently mentioned as a viable coping strategy against both rapid-onset natural disasters and slow-onset processes. "Environmentally-induced migration" occurs when people leave a location because natural disasters or environmental changes have harmed their livelihoods. Nonetheless, natural catastrophes and environmental change have impacted how rural people pursue their livelihoods and have led to people's decision to migrate. Climate change may thus influence internal migration trends in Bangladesh, while [large-scale international movements of Bangladeshis](https://journalijecc.com/index.php/IJECC/article/view/104) are unlikely to occur. [The country pursues a moderate foreign policy](https://journalijecc.com/index.php/IJECC/article/view/104) that places heavy reliance on multinational diplomacy, especially at the United Nations. Since its independence in 1971, the country has emphasized its principle of friendship towards all, malice towards none, in shaping its diplomacy. As a member of the non-aligned movement, Bangladesh has generally avoided taking sides with major powers. Since the end of the Cold War, the country has sought to foster better relations with its regional neighbors. One of the core principles of Bangladesh's foreign policy is to uphold the right of every people to freely determine and build their own social, economic, and political system through their own free choice. This is a sign of Bangladesh's venture to ensure the rights of its climate change-affected communities. In an attempt to address the fundamental concerns, negotiation across levels has emerged as an impending and worthwhile force for Bangladesh. [Bangladesh, as a former chair of the CVF](https://journalijecc.com/index.php/IJECC/article/view/104) (Climate Vulnerable Forum), continually urges developed countries to extend a helping hand to the most vulnerable countries by providing clean and green technology at affordable prices. Bangladesh is also serious about the global forum regarding the sharing of responsibilities for migrants displaced by rising sea levels, increasing salinity, river erosion, floods, and droughts. Recognizing the urgency of the issue, Bangladesh has become one of the most active countries in addressing [climate change through planning and action](https://www.dhakatribune.com/opinion/op-ed/362714/can-dhaka-cope-with-the-climate-migration-wave). Bangladesh accounts for less than 0.35 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions; however, it has taken several steps in recent years to encourage investment in climate change mitigation. The key is to adopt a financial structure that channels more resources towards adaptation investments. At the same time, the new environmental guidelines encourage green financing, green banking, and the establishment of dedicated funds. Bangladesh is actively seeking grants, particularly from the international community, through the Green Climate Fund. In Bangladesh, an initiative is underway to establish a public-private partnership system and a comprehensive social system to create a national mechanism for loss and damage. To date, the Reserve Fund under the Bangladesh [Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF)](https://bcct.gov.bd/) has been established with a capital of USD 100 million. Over the years, Bangladesh intensified its efforts to tackle climate change through the development of the [Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan](https://climatefinance.erd.gov.bd/publications/4) (BCCSAP). BCCSAP strongly emphasizes the importance of fruitful negotiation involving expert envoy(s) at both national and internal levels to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. The Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP) is a knowledge strategy built upon the National Adaptation Programme of Action. BCCSAP sets out 44 programmes to be taken by Bangladesh over the short, medium, and long term within six strategic areas (food security, social protection and health; comprehensive disaster management; infrastructure; research and knowledge management; mitigation and low carbon development; and capacity building and institutional strengthening). The National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) highlighted the prediction of changing temperature, rainfall, and sea-level patterns in Bangladesh due to the impacts of climate change. There is an increasing realization in the international community that, in today’s increasingly interconnected world, traditional diplomatic instruments are often ineffective in addressing global threats. Established alliances and procedures are hard-pressed to be effective against a threat such as climate change, when the cause (greenhouse gas emissions) is not the ambition of any one “hostile” power. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of the Government of Bangladesh plays a significant role in global [Climate Diplomacy](https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/southasia/2018/03/31/climate-negotiations-how-does-bangladesh-fare/) at the international level, primarily through bilateral or multilateral forums. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of the Bangladeshi government plays a significant role in global climate change diplomacy. MoFA is mandated to carry out such responsibility at the international level in the form of bilateral or multilateral modus. The negotiation efforts of Bangladesh delegates in the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the [United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change](https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/united-nations-framework-convention-on-climate-change) appear effective, as they presented a strong case for being the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The Convention's highest decision-making body is the COP. At the COP, which is attended by representatives of all Convention Parties, decisions are made to support the efficient implementation of the Convention, including institutional and administrative arrangements, and the Convention's implementation as well as any other legal instruments adopted by the COP. Bangladesh has been recognized for its positive efforts to play a leading role in most of the COPs held. However, it is first useful to assess, dispassionately, the role that Bangladesh has been able to play so far, in order to see how this can be built upon and improved going forward. Bangladesh certainly has the potential to play a leading role among fellow vulnerable countries on the issue of climate change if it leverages its strengths, which include capable officials, ministers, and a committed prime minister, as well as numerous experts and NGOs involved both domestically and internationally. Through climate diplomacy, the global community should recognize that helping others is ultimately helping oneself, and harming others is ultimately harming oneself. Given the nature of vulnerability and recurrent disasters resulting from the effects of climate change, Bangladesh can effectively participate in multilateral dialogues, as well as the COP, by consistently reinforcing its diplomatic efforts. Multilateral diplomacy enables Bangladesh to actively contribute to global political and socioeconomic stability and security within the multilateral system, as explored in this study. The United Nations, through its universal membership and its charter, occupies the central and indispensable role within a multilateral system of governance. Bangladesh should be vocal in its commitment to resolving international conflicts peacefully, in accordance with the United Nations and international law. [The UNFCCC and the tenets and provisions of the Kyoto Protocol](https://journalijecc.com/index.php/IJECC/article/view/104) must guide the actions of the international community. It must actively address climate change, recognise that helping others benefits oneself and harming others harms oneself, and collaborate to improve our country. It has been demonstrated that Bangladesh's involvement in multilateral discussions is a sign of its assimilation into the international community. Bangladesh urgently requires Western financial and technological support to adapt to the impacts of climate change. In terms of rhetoric, Bangladesh believes it is more practical to discuss the requirements of all developing countries collectively, rather than focusing on its own objectives. We need to understand and consider that [COP](https://unfccc.int/process/bodies/supreme-bodies/conference-of-the-parties-cop), which occurs once a year, is not the only venue where climate diplomacy takes place; rather, climate knowledge diplomats at Bangladesh's diplomatic missions worldwide now have to make tackling climate change a key issue in bilateral talks with the host government and funding agencies. To represent the nation in negotiations, Bangladesh should consider sending high-ranking climate change envoys. In the upcoming years, Bangladesh will continue to prioritise climate change, and funding in this area is essential. Today, it is crucial to have a team from key ministries and a trustworthy Special Envoy with diplomatic expertise. The organization's representation of vulnerable nations will need to take on a more complex and authoritative role. Future plans for nations at risk should concentrate on their deeds rather than merely their vulnerability. It is clear that the nation’s most at risk from climate change, such as Bangladesh, ought to exert every effort to end the impasse. It is often overlooked how important a single person, regarded by others as intelligent, can be on a global scale, even if their nation is not the largest or wealthiest. In a few years, Bangladesh may also emerge as a globally renowned figure in climate change diplomacy if the prime minister and the administration are prepared to take the initiative on the issue. They can use this as an opportunity to gain the moral upper hand and pressure other nations—both developed and big emerging nations that are now major polluters—to take action. Instead of staking an a priori claim for a specific share, Bangladesh must argue for its rightful share of funding from any new international adaptation funds based on its performance and capacity to act morally, transparently, and with good governance. Bangladesh will receive more than its fair share without having to compete for it by demonstrating that it can manage its finances effectively. To engage meaningfully with climate diplomacy, one must first understand its underlying architecture. Global climate discussions are conducted through a complex yet organized framework that includes scientific groups, regional blocs, treaty processes, and key summits. As the country most vulnerable to climate change, Bangladesh needs to monitor both formal treaty venues and the broader geopolitical forces shaping them to effectively track this diplomacy. Climate diplomacy is not a one-off event. Negotiations are influenced by non-state entities, who also increase ambition and put pressure on governments to take action. The government of Bangladesh must ensure participation, as it is particularly crucial for increasing accountability and openness, incorporating science, community perspectives, and equity, to ensure that vulnerable countries and marginalized people are represented, and to bolster the capability and credibility of international systems. We must have an effective action plan to ensure that diplomatic missions between the two countries are productive and efficient. How can Climate diplomacy, as the new dimension of diplomacy, promote bilateral diplomacy, track-II diplomacy, multilateral diplomacy, as well as cultural diplomacy for managing compensation and funds from the richest industrialized countries responsible for CFC production, and the international organizations, to accelerate comprehensive climate change adaptation, be the demand of the time? *By* [*Professor Dr Mohammad Tarikul Islam*](https://hhi.harvard.edu/people/mohammad-tarikul-islam)*, Visiting Scientist, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, and Visiting Professor at Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard.* Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#)