PPECCC Dhaka 2023 explores climate change as an opportunity for investment and employment

On September 23, the Preserve Planet Earth Climate Change Conference (PPECCC) took place, signifying the inaugural event in a planned series of conferences that will take place in major cities worldwide.

Hosted at the Independent University, Bangladesh's auditorium, this event brought together prominent scientists, researchers, policymakers, activists, and environmental enthusiasts from various parts of the world.

The central theme of the conference was "Climate Change is now an opportunity for investment and employment" and was spearheaded by the Rotary Clubs of Bangladesh. Highlighting the significance of utilising climate change challenges as opportunities, the convener, Quaiyum Khan, shared the Rotary Club's longstanding commitment to preserving the planet. He pointed out that the "Preserve Planet Earth" initiative was introduced globally by Rotary in 1990-91, which was five years before the establishment of the first global environmental conference under the UN, known as COP, and two years before the establishment of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The event featured a distinguished lineup of speakers, including Saber Hossain Chowdhury, MP, who serves as Bangladesh Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Climate Change; Waseqa Ayesha Khan, MP, who holds the position of Vice Chairperson at Climate Parliament Bangladesh; Prof. Dr Saleemul Huq, OBE, a prominent global climate scientist and Director at the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) of IUB; Dr Sebastian Groh, Founder CEO of SOLSHARE LTD.; Wahidul Hasan, the recipient of the prestigious NASA EPSCoR grant; and Prof. Saifur Rahman, who serves as President and CEO of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

The event officially began with the convener launching the conference in a similar style of a Rotary meeting.

"To address climate issues, it requires a blend of scientific insights, indigenous knowledge, and international collaborations focused on mitigation and adaptation strategies," shared IUB VC Tanweer Hasan during his speech.

The Chief Guest, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, made a virtual appearance. In his video message, he emphasised the urgency of preserving our planet. "When we talk about preserving climate earth, we are talking about the only home that we have," he added.

The following five sessions adopted a Ted Talk-style format, with each session lasting 20 minutes.

Prof. Saleemul started the first session titled "Planet Under Pressure: Climate Change & the Problems in Hastens," where he pointed out that along with mitigation, we have to create adaptation strategies to deal with the inevitable losses and damages caused by climate change. He stressed that investing in climate solutions has the potential to be profitable.

The second session was led by Professor Saifur Rahman who delved into technological climate solutions. His presentation, titled "Climate Change & Net Zero Transition: A Roadmap for Industrializing Nations", centred on strategies for transitioning to cleaner technologies.

Delivering her remarks through a video message, Waseqa shared, "Policies should highlight the needs of the new future and outline a strategy to fulfil the energy needs of Bangladesh." She further highlighted the impressive advancements that Bangladesh has achieved in the power and energy sector.

Next, Dr Groh took the floor for his session titled "Global Surge in Climate Investment: Funds Flow to Address Planetary Crisis".

During his presentation, Dr Groh highlighted the immense untapped market potential in Bangladesh for technological climate solutions, emphasising that this presents a multi-billion-dollar opportunity for foreign investments. He conveyed, "A liveable climate is the best investment." Adding to his claims, he provided data illustrating the growing investments in climate change initiatives over the years and emphasised, "Where there is investment, there is employability."

Continuing the conversation, Wahidul joined the conference live from the USA, to highlight the potential for employment within this field. He is currently pursuing his PhD at the South Dakota School of Mines. During his virtual presentation, he discussed the emerging opportunities that this industry presents to young individuals.

The conference featured sessions that delved into how climate change presents a distinctive opportunity in Bangladesh, allowing us to transform challenges into advantages.

One of the notable attendees at the conference was Professor Mubarak Ahmad Khan, a renowned jute scientist internationally acclaimed for developing biodegradable jute bags or "Sonali Bag". He was invited to the stage, where he showcased the development of the jute-based biodegradable "Sonali Bag" as a prime example of how we can harness our potential.

In his concluding statements, Ambassador (Retd.) Tariq Ahmed Karim, Director of the Centre for Bay of Bengal Studies, emphasised the importance of taking initiative at the local level, and stated, "We have to form local coalitions, local partnerships, local startups and start things first."