International climate experts have urged governments to submit ambitious, renewable energy-driven national climate plans as countries prepare to present updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) at the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Summit in New York next week said a press release.
According to a UN media advisory released Thursday, more than 100 countries, including Bangladesh, will unveil new or revised NDCs at the September 24 summit, which will be attended by heads of state and government from over 45 countries. Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser to Bangladesh’s interim government, is also scheduled to participate.
Bangladesh in the Spotlight
Bangladesh, widely recognized as a global leader in climate adaptation and among the most vulnerable to climate change, is expected to submit its updated NDC 3.0 ahead of COP30 in Brazil. Experts and civil society groups say Yunus’ participation adds momentum, with expectations that Bangladesh will chart a renewable-energy-based future while phasing out fossil fuels swiftly and equitably.
A decade after the Paris Agreement, global renewable energy capacity has grown by 140%, with clean energy investments now outpacing fossil fuel spending. Cost reductions of up to 90% in solar, wind, and battery storage, largely driven by China, have helped lower projected global warming from over 4°C to around 2.4–2.6°C.
Yet experts caution that current ambition is still inadequate. Studies show that robust NDCs could lift 175 million people out of poverty, boost global GDP by 13% by 2100, and keep climate-driven food price inflation below 3% annually by 2035.
Calls for Political Leadership
Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, said the New York summit would serve as “a milestone to assess where we stand in the global fight and how far we must still go.”
Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation, noted: “The Paris Agreement has already shifted the global trajectory. Today, renewable energy is expanding rapidly, costs are falling, and resilience is being built into economies. But the cost of inaction is severe. The challenge now is political.”
Maria Mendiluce, CEO of the We Mean Business Coalition, described NDCs as “a country’s most valuable investment proposal,” arguing that ambitious plans unlock jobs, attract capital and talent, and secure competitiveness in the clean energy economy.
Economic Opportunity for Bangladesh
For Bangladesh, climate experts emphasize that an ambitious, renewable-powered NDC 3.0 is not just an environmental necessity but also a strategic economic opportunity. Expanding renewables, they argue, will boost energy security, create jobs, attract international green investment, and shield the economy from volatile fossil fuel import prices.
With the summit just days away, the global climate community will be watching closely to see if countries like Bangladesh step up to the challenge with bold commitments that match the urgency of the crisis.
