TODAY humanity is at a crossroads in the climate change crisis. Like every year, World Environment Day 2026, hosted by Azerbaijan in partnership with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), will focus on the theme ‘Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future’. The theme emphasises the crucial intersection of urbanisation, nature-based solutions and climate action, highlighting efforts to reduce emissions and foster environmental cooperation. This year, the prime focus of the Day is strengthening global cooperation to fight climate change and promoting sustainable urbanisation. It is a follow-up to COP29 in Azerbaijan, which aimed to turn environmental commitments into practical action, focusing on biodiversity restoration and renewable energy. The 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment brought industrialised and developing nations together to delineate the right of human beings to a healthy and productive environment, which largely remains beyond our reach, mainly due to war and the politics surrounding the environment.
With the passage of time, concern has heightened over the degradation of our Mother Earth through global warming before humanity could unlock its full potential for human welfare. Global warming, leading to climate change, severely affects humanity and other biological and non-biological components of ecosystems. The prime cause of global warming is the exceptionally high anthropogenic emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) throughout the Neolithic Revolution (the clearing of forests for agricultural expansion), the Industrial Revolution and the Green Revolution. In 2023, global GHG emissions amounted to 52,962.9 million tCO₂e. Global luxury consumption, particularly in the Global North, is contributing to a stronger climate change-biodiversity loss-DLDD (desertification, land degradation and drought) nexus that severely affects the most vulnerable people, who often lack even the most basic amenities. This further deepens disparities in society and hampers peace and prosperity.
The historic Paris Agreement was adopted at COP21 in Paris on December 12, 2015, and came into force on November 4, 2016. It aimed to address climate change and its negative impacts by limiting global temperature increases to well below 2°C above pre-industrial (1850–1900) levels, while pursuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C. To date, 193 parties have joined the Agreement, following the withdrawal of the United States. This includes commitments from all countries to reduce emissions and work together to adapt to the impacts of climate change, while calling on countries to strengthen their commitments through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) over time. To better frame efforts towards the long-term goal, the Paris Agreement invites countries to formulate and submit voluntary long-term strategies. Despite these efforts, in 2024, for the first time, the average global temperature increase (1.6°C) exceeded the 1.5°C threshold. Global temperatures have reached record highs over the past 10 consecutive years, indicating the insufficiency of current efforts to curb global warming.
Climate change is not a new phenomenon. The problem lies in today’s rapid rate of change, with which both living and non-living components of the global ecosystem are struggling to adapt. Often, their responses to abrupt climate change and its complexity remain poorly understood, although humanity must understand these responses to design effective adaptation pathways. To fathom the phenology of these responses, extensive research is necessary, along with logistical support and capacity building for scientists, especially in developing countries. To this end, the necessary investment of financial and non-financial resources is often hindered by political manoeuvring and war.
Climate change is a scientific reality. The Paris Agreement is a political compromise shaped by that science. Politics determines whether the Agreement succeeds or fails. This is also severely hampering global coordination for the appropriate management of natural resources. As a result, natural resources — soil, air, water and vegetation — from which life begins are depleting, both in quality and quantity, at a faster rate than ever before due to climate change, itself a consequence of anthropogenic actions. Human food, fibre, shelter, economic development and wellbeing all depend entirely on the quality and quantity of natural resources and their sustainable management. A grave question remains as to how the growing demands of a global population exceeding eight billion will be met from these limited and diminishing resources, while much of economic growth continues to draw raw materials from forests, soils, seas and waterways. A mainspring of economic growth is new technology and, while it offers the potential to slow the dangerously rapid consumption of finite resources, it also entails significant risks, including new forms of pollution.
Politics plays a central role in both causing and addressing climate change disasters. Climate change is not only an environmental issue; it is deeply connected to governance, economics, international relations, development priorities and social justice. Fossil fuel policies have led many governments to support coal, oil and gas industries through subsidies, weak regulations and industrial expansion. These policies have increased greenhouse gas emissions, accelerating global warming. Major industrial powers, during and after the Industrial Revolution, built economic growth on fossil fuels, creating long-term environmental consequences. Despite this, global climate negotiations continue to be shaped by disagreements between developed and developing countries through the persistent debates over who should reduce emissions more, who should pay for climate damages, and who is historically responsible for climate change. These tensions affect the implementation of agreements such as the Paris Agreement.
Climate change raises major ethical and political questions. Poor countries, such as Bangladesh, suffer the most despite contributing the least to global emissions. Indigenous and coastal communities face displacement, climate migration creates geopolitical tensions and food and water insecurity increases the risk of conflict. This has led to debates about climate justice, loss-and-damage funding, environmental rights and sustainable development. Climate disasters often worsen when political leaders deny climate science, disaster funds are misused, vulnerable communities are ignored and environmental laws are weakened in pursuit of economic interests. Short-term political interests sometimes override long-term environmental sustainability. The recurrent failure of developed nations to fulfil their funding commitments, including contributions to the Green Climate Fund for adaptation and mitigation actions, has frustrated the global community, while these same nations continue to increase defence expenditure.
In Bangladesh, sea-level rise threatens coastal populations, salinity affects agriculture and freshwater supplies, urban heat islands in Dhaka are intensified by poor urban planning and global warming and river management and transboundary water politics affect flood risks during the monsoon, water scarcity during the dry season, and land degradation. As a deltaic country, Bangladesh is severely affected by climate change, which hampers ecosystem productivity. People are suffering from severe climate-related distress, including malnutrition and health crises resulting from outbreaks of pests and diseases. Many elderly and vulnerable people who earn their livelihoods by collecting and selling ecosystem goods, such as vegetables and leafy greens, survive on around one dollar a day, making it impossible for them to maintain a decent standard of living. This situation is equally applicable to many other least developed countries. Those who promote war and play politics with climate change should answer a simple question: how can these people survive when the prices of essential goods, including medicines, are skyrocketing?
War undermines climate mitigation by increasing fossil fuel use, diverting financial resources, damaging infrastructure, weakening international cooperation and increasing emissions. Defence spending often rises sharply during wars, while funding for clean energy transitions declines. Climate mitigation efforts are frequently delayed, reduced or reversed. War can seriously weaken climate mitigation by disrupting political priorities, economic systems, international cooperation and environmental protection. Climate mitigation depends heavily on international diplomacy and trust. Long-term climate mitigation requires peace, political stability, global cooperation and sustained investment in sustainable development.
To build a safer common future, we need to decouple war and politics from climate action. Governments can reduce climate risks through renewable energy policies, climate-resilient agriculture, early warning systems, coastal protection, international cooperation and green urban planning. Effective climate politics requires long-term planning, international cooperation, science-based policymaking and governance oriented towards social justice. To save the planet, we need a common understanding of climate realities and must act accordingly. The sooner, the better, as time is running out.
Dr Md Sohrab Ali is a former additional director general of the Department of Environment.
