At COP-31, Zubaida Rahman calls for turning waste into a resource

Waste should not be left to perish without any use; rather, it should be turned into a resource, a source of energy and an opportunity for growth, Bangladesh's First Spouse Dr Zubaida Rahman has said.

She made the call on Wednesday (11 November) at a high-level meeting of spouses of heads of state and government titled 'Global Zero Waste Alliance', held during the ongoing climate conference (COP-31) in Antalya, Turkey.

Dr Zubaida Rahman praised and thanked Turkey's First Lady Emine Erdogan for her leadership in advancing the zero waste programme.

Presenting Bangladesh's position at the meeting, the First Spouse said Bangladesh strongly welcomes and supports the 'Global Zero Waste Alliance'. It is fully consistent with the Bangladesh government's goal of building a clean environment, a healthy population and a sustainable future. She also mentioned the government's waste reduction, reuse and recycling (3R) strategy and the 'Solid Waste Management Rules'.

On emissions reduction targets, she said that under the 'Nationally Determined Contribution' (NDC 3.0), Bangladesh has set a target of reducing emissions from the waste sector by 1.78 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2035. Recycling, composting, waste-to-energy generation and safe management of medical waste are on the Bangladesh government's priority list, she added.

Mentioning the large 'waste-to-energy' project being implemented in Dhaka, Dr Zubaida Rahman said the project will process 3,000 tonnes of household waste every day to produce 42.5 megawatts of electricity. The government also plans to expand such projects to other big cities in the country. Bangladesh's main goal is to protect the environment by turning city waste into clean energy and keeping waterbodies clean.

She presented jute, the golden fibre, to world leaders as Bangladesh's natural alternative for preventing plastic pollution. She invited everyone to visit the 'Bangladesh Jute Pavilion' in COP-31's Green Zone to encourage greater use of jute products instead of plastic. As a signatory to the 'Global Methane Pledge', she also reiterated Bangladesh's commitment to climate-friendly agriculture and reducing methane emissions.

Noting that individual effort is not enough to build a waste-free world, Dr Zubaida Rahman said it requires affordable climate finance, technology transfer and capacity building. She also emphasised strong private sector participation, protection of informal waste workers and including the younger generation in the movement.

She said: 'Let us turn waste into a resource, pollution into a solution and promises into effective action.'

Bangladesh is fully ready to implement the collective commitments and strengthen global cooperation, she added.