UNB, Dhaka:

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury has urged all parties to establish an operational path for the loss and damage fund to ensure timely disbursement of funds.

He also asked to take decisive actions, emphasising the necessity to finalise the new climate finance goal.

The minister made the remarks while delivering speech at the closing session of the two-day Head of Delegation retreat program held in Shamakhi, Azerbaijan on Saturday, according to a media release issued on Sunday.

Saber was invited by the COP29 Azerbaijan Presidency designate, Minister Mukhtar Babayev, to represent the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in his address.

The minister said climate change is an existential challenge, not just a threat. The severe and widespread impacts are already being felt across various LDCs, he added.

He stressed that these adverse effects are only the beginning of a much longer list of challenges.

Saber noted the world is not aligned with the 1.5-degrees Celsius temperature goal.

He also called for the alignment of the next Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) with the 1.5-degree Celsius goal, stressing the importance of building trust among nations through clear support mechanisms for NDC implementation.

Looking ahead to the next COP 29 in Baku, he remarked that the next COP 29 in Baku will be a litmus test for the COP process, and there is no option of failing.