Staff Reporter
A high-level Norwegian delegation, led by Stine Renate Håheim, State Secretary to the Minister of International Development at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held a meeting tuesday with Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of Bangladesh, at the Bangladesh Secretariat.

Senior officials from the Norwegian Embassy, including Senior Advisers Gunhild Eriksen and Kristin Lunden, as well as Ambassador Arne Harald Gulbradsen, were also present at the meeting.

The discussions focused on bilateral cooperation in areas such as climate crisis response, renewable energy, forest conservation, and sustainable development. The Norwegian delegation praised Bangladesh’s ambitious renewable energy policies.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan emphasized the Ministry’s role in ensuring equitable climate finance distribution and implementing adaptation projects, especially for providing safe drinking water to communities affected by salinity and floods.

Regarding forest and river conservation, she stated, “We are committed to protecting Bangladesh’s rivers and forests. A significant portion of the climate fund is being allocated to these areas, with a focus on land restoration and afforestation to restore ecological balance. She also highlighted progress in the initiative to build small cold storages for farmers.

The Adviser expressed deep concern over environmental and human rights issues in the shipbreaking industry, citing persistent problems in worker safety, waste management, and pollution. She stressed that without reforms aligned with international standards, this sector cannot be promoted as ‘green.’ The Norwegian side expressed interest in joint research and policy support on this issue.

The delegation also underscored the importance of investing in renewable energy and environmentally friendly projects in Bangladesh. Rizwana Hasan, in turn, highlighted the need to improve the investment climate through political stability and reduction of corruption.

She reiterated, Bangladesh’s priority in tackling the climate crisis is to protect vulnerable communities. We are working to safeguard our rivers and forests, but we will not compromise on environmental or human rights issues in sectors like shipbreaking.

State Secretary Stine Renate Håheim affirmed Norway’s strong support for Bangladesh’s progress in climate adaptation and renewable energy and expressed keen interest in collaborating for sustainable development. Both sides pledged to strengthen cooperation in addressing climate challenges, conserving forests, and promoting green industries.