Bangladesh Energy Prosperity 2050
CONFERENCE DECLARATION
29 April 2023, Dhaka, Bangladesh
We, the 283 representatives of policymakers and civil society*, being part of the Bangladesh Energy Prosperity 2050 Conference —
- Recognize and appreciate the significant progress the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) made in achieving 100% electricity coverage and initiating national energy connectivity across the energy and power sector;
- Are united in our appreciation of the GOB for devising the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan (MCPP) that sets targets for the country's energy and power sector transformation, i.e., 30% Renewable Energy (RE) in the energy mix by 2030, 40% by 2041, and 100% by 2050;
- Acknowledge that the MCPP's RE targets are aligned with Article 16 of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, which directs the State to transform rural areas through electrification radically; Article 18A directs State to protect and improve the environment for the present and future generations; and the Planetary Emergency declared by the Parliament of Bangladesh;
- Request the GOB to establish the MCPP as the guiding policy instrument over vertical, horizontal and related policy documents, including but not limited to the Perspective Plan 2041 and Five Years Plans (FYP) devised to realize Vision 2041, National Energy Policy 2004, Draft National Renewable Energy Policy 2022, Delta Plan 2100, Draft National Solar Energy Roadmap 2041, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Master Plan 2016-2030, and Import Policy Order 2021-2024. This alignment is necessary to ensure energy sustainability by promoting RE as much as fast possible;
- Are concerned that the draft Integrated Energy and Power Master Plan (IEPMP) is not aligned with the MCPP and other policy directions and decisions adopted by the Cabinet;
- Are concerned that the draft IEPMP was formulated with limited country ownership where most key stakeholders were not sufficiently consulted. Even key policymaking bodies, especially those related to the energy and power sector, were neither fully included in the process nor briefed on the outcome;
- Request that the GOB initiates a nationally owned inclusive IEPMP process that takes into account the contributions of fossil fuels to carbon emissions, modern technology use, integration of renewable energy in major economic activities, public debt incurred by the import of fossil fuel, and thereby revises the IEPMP to align with the MCPP to enhance energy sovereignty, prioritize energy security, economic stability, social and environmental sustainability;
- Request the GOB for increased public investment to upgrade the Transmission and Distribution (T&D) systems to meet upcoming challenges of intermittent power supply from renewable sources;
- Are concerned that the adoption of new technologies such as liquid hydrogen, ammonia, carbon capture and storage (CCS), which are still unproven and expensive, would decrease energy security and lock Bangladesh into an unsustainable long-term dependency on foreign energy-producing countries;
- Demand that the GOB prioritizes solar and wind in power generation to make Bangladesh more resilient and secure from the market volatility of fossil fuels, geopolitics and war and reverse the trend of declining foreign currency reserves;
- Request that the GOB urgently establish a Renewable Energy Division (RED) under the Ministry of Power Energy and Mineral Resources (MOPEMR) to strategically establish RE as the fastest growing least-cost energy source that powers the inclusive and sustainable development of Bangladesh and make Vision 2041 a reality, establish a One-stop Service Centre (OSSC) that fast tracks the achievement of RE targets, and endows the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) with the mandate and resources to achieve MCPP targets;
- Urge the GOB to allocate sufficient budgetary resources to promote RE beginning this year and increasing annually after that and create regulatory frameworks and incentives for green financing until renewable energy targets set in the MCPP are achieved;
- Demand appropriate fiscal measures, including immediate cancellation of import tax on renewable accessories and incentivization of RE for producers to facilitate much more sustainable economic development;
- Request the enhanced implementation of net-metering systems so individuals, businesses and communities can be empowered to enter into positive partnerships to help achieve renewable energy targets of MCPP and rapidly transition Bangladesh away from fossil fuel dominance in the energy mix;
- Further request a legal framework and incentives to facilitate on-grid and off-grid community-based RE, solar irrigation and integrated biogas. We also request to use Khas and reclaimed land available across the country for establishing renewables plants;
- Demand a capacity enhancement mechanism and information network to create a transition of human resources to support the RE goals;
- Implore exploring bilateral, regional, plurilateral and multilateral cooperation to achieve MCPP targets, particularly strengthening the regional green grid and mobilizing technologies and financial resources for renewables. At the regional level, we request the GOB to kick off diplomatic initiatives for basin-based management, particularly to initiate Integrated Water Resource Management and to contribute to energy security;
- Insist that the GOB devises a strategy for the gradual withdrawal of fossil fuel subsidies to secure a level-playing field for RE and fossil fuel-based power generation;
- Request the introduction of a Carbon Tax that would be an instrumental measure to promote green growth in the country;
- Demand that in all development efforts, including in the energy and power sector, the GOB will follow a ‘no-harm principle’ for people's lives, livelihoods, and the environment. We hope these efforts will be strengthened through an information disclosure policy as well as through the protection of whistleblowers; and
- Ensure that all the propositions in this declaration align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed upon at United Nations that the GOB has been considering as a priority.
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* Led by an Organizing Committee convened by Saber Hossain Chowdhury MP and Hasanul Haq Inu MP, hosted by the Bangladesh Working Group on External Debt (BWGED), Climate Parliament Bangladesh and the Earth Society in association with ActionAid Bangladesh, Bright Green Energy Foundation (BGEF), Center for Participatory Research and Development (CPRD), Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Change Initiative, CLEAN (Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network), Participatory Research & Action Network (PRAAN), Solis Power and Energy Limited (SPEL) and Waterkeepers Bangladesh, from 27 to 29 April 2023 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Members of Parliament (MPs), power producers, energy experts, economists, investors, diplomats, think tanks, lawyers, anthropologists, trade unionists, and representatives of non-government organizations and communities, including women and youths and students, have joined the BEP2050 conference.
