Foreign Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen has said climate change posed a security challenge and urged the global leadership to help forge international partnerships to ensure financing and technologies for climate vulnerable countries like Bangladesh. 

He drew attention to the possible consequences to be created by climate-induced displacements in different parts of the world.

Incidentally, climate change was identified as the top security risk among people polled for the Munich Security Index 2022. 

Dr Momen was addressing a panel discussion on tackling the climate crisis at the "Munich Security Conference" that began on Friday. 

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The three-day Munich Security Conference kicked off in the Southern German city with the participation of the global leaders from both public and private sectors.

Along with Minister Momen, Lieutenant General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Principal Staff Officer, Armed Forces Division is also joining the Conference from Bangladesh this year, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday. 

He said most countries on the frontline of climate change had an insignificant share in carbon emission, yet suffered due to the global pollution caused by most G-20 countries. 

Dr Momen said the international community must work hard this year to realize the Paris Climate Conference commitment on US$ 100 billion to be realized for climate action annually.  

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The Minister was joined by John Kerry, Climate Envoy of the US President, Franziska Brantner, State Secretary at the German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, and Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology of UAE.

The panel was moderated by Zanny Beddeos, Editor-in-Chief, The Economist and the scene was set out by Professor Dr. Johan Rockström, Director of the Postdam Institute of Climate Impact Research. 

The speakers identified climate change as an existential threat. 

They expressed concerns over the current geopolitical tensions around Ukraine for its possible impact on energy security, leading to diversion of global attention from the climate crisis. 

They underscored the importance of accelerating climate action from now on with respect for science, informed dialogue and pragmatism involving both the public and private sectors. 

In a separate session of the Conference, Foreign Minister Momen also asked his US and German counterparts in the panel if they considered whether escalation of tension around Ukraine could adversely impact on the climate agenda. 

In a later session on the possible way out of the COVID-19 pandemic, Minister Momen reiterated the call for considering vaccines to be ‘global public goods’ and ensuring vaccine equity around the world. 

In the presence of his counterparts from Canada and Sweden and Bill Gates, he stressed the need for transferring the technological know-how to developing countries like Bangladesh for vaccine production. 

At the end of the day, Minister Momen addressed a community meeting. Md. Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, Ambassador of Bangladesh to Germany, among others, was present.