As the world prepares for COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9–20, 2026, the central question is whether governments can turn climate commitments into measurable results.
Co-led by Türkiye and Australia, the conference aims to move beyond declarations towards practical implementation, investment and accountability.
Its Action Agenda identifies ten priorities: Climate Implementation Bridge, Clean Energy Transition, Green Industrialization, Climate-Resilient Cities, Oceans and Seas, Food Security, Zero Waste, Dynamic and Resilient Health Systems, Rio Synergies, and Youth and Education. For Bangladesh, three priorities deserve particular attention: Zero Waste, Food Security and Climate-Resilient Cities. They offer opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cut methane, strengthen resilience and improve people's lives.
Bangladesh faces a difficult balancing act. It must protect vulnerable communities from floods, cyclones, salinity intrusion and extreme heat while creating jobs, maintaining food security and sustaining economic growth. The challenge is to pursue these objectives without locking the country into increasingly expensive, carbon-intensive development.
From NDC commitments to implementation
Bangladesh's Third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), submitted in September 2025, sets a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20.31% below the business-as-usual scenario by 2035. This includes a 6.39% unconditional reduction using domestic resources and a further 13.92% conditional reduction that depends on international support. Together, these measures are estimated to reduce emissions by 84.97 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2035. (UNFCCC)
Achieving this target requires coordinated action across energy, industry, agriculture and waste management. Expanding renewable electricity, improving industrial energy efficiency, modernising infrastructure and promoting resource-efficient manufacturing can reduce emissions while protecting economic competitiveness.
However, ambition must be matched by financing. Bangladesh estimates that implementing its NDC 3.0 mitigation measures during 2026–2035 will require US$116.18 billion. Of this, US$25.95 billion is expected to support unconditional actions through domestic resources, while US$90.23 billion depends on international climate finance. (UNFCCC)
This financing gap exposes a fundamental problem in global climate action. Developing countries with limited historical responsibility for emissions are expected to pursue ambitious transitions while addressing poverty, infrastructure deficits and growing climate risks.
At COP31, Bangladesh must press for predictable, accessible and additional climate finance, alongside technology transfer and capacity building. It must also strengthen its capacity to develop investment-ready projects, with clear budgets, implementation timelines, measurable outcomes and transparent monitoring.
Zero Waste: A practical route to methane reduction
Waste management is not merely a municipal cleanliness issue. It is a climate priority. When food scraps and other biodegradable materials decompose in oxygen-poor conditions at unmanaged dumpsites and landfills, they release methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to near-term warming.
For Bangladesh's rapidly growing cities, reducing methane from waste offers an opportunity to deliver relatively rapid climate benefits while addressing persistent environmental and public health problems.
The solution is not simply to build more landfills. Nor should incineration become the default response to growing waste volumes. Bangladesh needs a waste hierarchy that prioritises prevention, reuse, repair, recycling and the recovery of organic materials, with safe disposal reserved for residual waste.
Municipalities should introduce source segregation, improve collection systems and expand composting and appropriately designed anaerobic digestion. The latter can capture methane from organic waste and produce biogas. Composting can return nutrients to agricultural soils, reducing waste and supporting more sustainable farming.
These efforts must be accompanied by stronger producer responsibility, improved recycling infrastructure and meaningful participation by informal waste workers. Manufacturers should bear greater responsibility for the products and packaging they introduce into the market.
Waste prevention also has economic value. Recovering materials reduces demand for virgin resources, while better collection and treatment can improve urban health, create employment and protect rivers and wetlands from pollution.
Bangladesh should therefore make waste-related methane reduction a measurable component of its climate implementation strategy, supported by reliable emissions baselines, clear targets and municipal investment plans.
Food security is also climate security
Agriculture sustains rural livelihoods and national food security, but its future is increasingly threatened by rising temperatures, irregular rainfall, floods, droughts and salinity intrusion. Climate shocks can reduce yields, disrupt supply chains and increase food prices, placing disproportionate pressure on low-income households.
At the same time, food losses during harvesting, transportation, storage and distribution waste the land, water, energy and labour invested in production. When discarded food decomposes in unmanaged waste sites, it contributes further to methane emissions.
Bangladesh must connect climate-resilient agriculture with food-loss prevention and sustainable waste management. Priorities include flood-, drought- and salinity-tolerant crops, improved irrigation efficiency, better storage facilities, stronger rural transport networks and accessible climate information for farmers.
Methane reduction should also be integrated into agricultural policy. Where locally appropriate, alternate wetting and drying in rice cultivation can reduce methane emissions. Improved livestock feeding, manure management and biogas systems offer additional opportunities.
These measures must not undermine food production or impose unaffordable costs on small farmers. Farmers need technical assistance, affordable finance and practical incentives to adopt new approaches.
Preventing food waste, improving agricultural resilience and reducing methane should be treated as complementary objectives. Together, they can protect livelihoods, strengthen food availability and reduce emissions across the food system.
Building climate-resilient, low-carbon cities
Bangladesh's urban centres face a convergence of challenges: extreme heat, traffic congestion, air pollution, inadequate drainage, flooding and the loss of wetlands and natural water channels. Poorly planned development intensifies these risks while locking cities into inefficient buildings, fossil-fuel-dependent transport and costly infrastructure.
The COP31 Climate-Resilient Cities priority offers Bangladesh an opportunity to integrate adaptation and mitigation into urban planning.
Investments should prioritise energy-efficient buildings, rooftop solar, reliable public transport, safe walking and cycling infrastructure, improved drainage, restored canals and wetlands, and expanded urban green spaces. These interventions can reduce energy consumption and emissions while making cities safer and healthier.
Sanitation and wastewater management are equally important. Unmanaged sewage and organic waste create environmental hazards, while poorly designed treatment systems can consume substantial energy or release greenhouse gases. Better wastewater treatment, faecal sludge management and organic waste recovery can reduce these risks.
Cities should establish measurable methane-reduction targets for major waste and sanitation hotspots, alongside clear responsibilities for municipal authorities. Climate considerations must also be integrated into infrastructure budgets, building standards and land-use planning.
The principle is straightforward: urban investments should reduce emissions while protecting people from climate hazards. Restored wetlands can absorb floodwater and support biodiversity; efficient buildings can lower energy demand and protect residents from heat; improved public transport can reduce fuel consumption and expand access to employment.
Financing delivery, not just promises
COP31's Climate Implementation Bridge is particularly relevant to Bangladesh because it seeks to connect national climate commitments with investment-ready projects and practical delivery. (COP31 Türkiye)
Bangladesh should use this opportunity to develop a coordinated portfolio of projects in renewable energy, industrial efficiency, methane reduction, climate-smart agriculture and resilient urban infrastructure.
This requires stronger coordination among ministries, local governments, research institutions and the private sector. Reliable emissions inventories, methane baselines and transparent monitoring systems will help establish priorities, track expenditure and demonstrate results.
Public finance should also be used strategically to attract private investment in clean energy, recycling and other low-carbon services. But commercial investment cannot replace grants and highly concessional finance for essential public goods, including flood protection, wetland restoration and sanitation in vulnerable communities.
Bangladesh must insist that international support be accessible, timely and consistent with the principle of equity. Climate finance should be assessed not simply by announced commitments, but by the amount actually disbursed, the terms offered and the benefits delivered.
A test of leadership
Bangladesh should approach COP31 with a dual strategy: demand the international support necessary to meet its climate commitments while demonstrating its readiness to implement practical, measurable solutions.
Zero Waste, Food Security and Climate-Resilient Cities are not isolated agenda items. Together, they connect methane reduction, resource efficiency, public health, agricultural resilience and sustainable urban development. Their success will depend on sound policies, adequate finance, capable institutions and meaningful community participation.
COP31 will ultimately be judged not by the number of priorities on its agenda, but by the results countries achieve. For Bangladesh, those results should mean less methane, cleaner cities, more resilient food systems, healthier ecosystems and climate finance that reaches the communities that need it most.
The task is to bridge the gap between climate ambition and implementation. Bangladesh must turn its commitments into investments, its investments into measurable emission reductions, and its climate policies into lasting improvements in people's lives.
Dr Shahriar Hossain is an environmental scientist, journalist, and social justice advocate. He contributes to international environmental policy, conventions, and advocacy.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Business Standard.