Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (CSRL), a network of 150 development organisations working at grassroots level, yesterday called on the Group of 8 and other industry-based developed countries to reduce greenhouse gas emission by 25-40 percent by 2020 for safeguarding the low-lying countries like Bangladesh.
The CSRL leaders claimed that around 2.5 crore people in Bangladesh have already become refugees due to climate change whereas developed countries, including G-8 counties, are mostly responsible for climate change.
CSRL Member Secretary Ziaul Hoque Mukta said, “Developing countries, especially those at sea level, are victimised due to climate change. The situation is getting worse day by day due to huge amount greenhouse gas emission in the environment. Greenhouse gas is the main culprit for today's climate change.”
However, industry-based developed countries are mainly responsible for increasing greenhouse in the atmosphere, he said at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity auditorium in the city.
Time has come to reduce the emission of greenhouse gas and for this reason, developed countries should come forward and take measures for reducing greenhouse gas emission by 25-40 percent by 2020, he added.
Ziaul Hoque Mukta also proposed that the G-8 and developed countries should prioritise the people who are victimised by climate change in their immigration process.
Khusi Kabir of Nijera Kori said developed counties should give compensation to those countries victimised by climate change.
CSRL members Dr Ahsan Uddin Ahmed and Sarder Shafiqul Alam also took part in the press conference.