US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas has stated that providing renewable energy to Bangladesh now will ensure a more promising and sustainable future for future generations.
He made this statement at the EMK Centre in Dhaka, during his speech to the Indo-Pacific Business Forum (IPBF).
The forum is the main public-private US Government gathering to support economic cooperation, trade, and investment between the US and its allies in the Indo-Pacific area.
According to a press release, 500 leaders from the area will come together for this year’s event, which will also feature satellite events in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and a live feed for virtual participation.
The Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the US Trade and Development Agency, in collaboration with the US Department of State, are co-hosting the one-day event in Manila, Philippines.
IPBF connects CEOs, project developers, government officials, and sources of financing for priority infrastructure in emerging Indo-Pacific economies.
The key themes and topics for 2024 are: clean energy, digital transformation, supply chain resiliency, transportation infrastructure, and emerging technologies.
Noting that the world’s fossil fuel supply is finite, the US Ambassador said fossil fuels may be in short supply in the coming years. “This underscores the urgency to advance a sustainable, equitable, and just energy transition to clean and renewable energy resources,”
Mentioning that Bangladesh is fortunate with its domestic supply of natural gas, Haas said, “I’m proud to say that U.S. businesses have been instrumental in allowing Bangladesh to utilise those resources to drive its remarkable economic development over the last two decades. But, as I mentioned before, those supplies are not infinite. And while Bangladesh may soon find more gas in new locations, eventually those too will run out.”
He said renewable and clean energy resources are the key to this energy transition for Bangladesh, for South Asia, and for the world.
Finding ways to harness solar, wind, hydro, hydrogen, and other energy sources is the path to energy security and needed to support continued economic growth and sustainable development, he added.
To help Bangladesh reach this goal, the US Ambassador said his government has been working with the Bangladeshi government, the private sector, international financial institutions, and like-minded governments to build the foundation for this country’s clean energy transition.
