Topic: 2025 – Impact of Climate Change on Air Quality
Country: Bangladesh
Delegate Name: Cindy Jiang
Climate change poses one of the greatest environmental risks of the 21st century, with tremendous impacts on both humans and ecosystems. At the root of this crisis are global warming, greenhouse gas emissions, and air pollution. Air pollution, closely linked to these causes, is the “silent killer” that claims more than 8.1 million lives every year, according to the UN Environment Programme. It is an inevitable consequence that, if left unaddressed, will continue to degrade the environment and human health. Protecting Earth’s most valuable resource—clean air—must be a global priority. Bangladesh, a country in South Asia, has experienced these effects intensely and is ranked among the nations with the highest levels of air pollution. Major sources of pollution in Bangladesh include vehicle emissions, industrial discharges, and widespread brick kiln operations. These pollution sources have had severe consequences, contributing to over 80,000 premature deaths in Bangladesh alone.
To mitigate the impacts of air pollution, Bangladesh has introduced several regulations, including bans on certain types of vehicles to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, taxes on individuals who own more than two cars, and stricter laws on brick kilns to improve overall air quality. An example of this is the “bus ban” announced by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), which removes buses older than 20 years and trucks older than 25 years from the roads. Furthermore, Finance Minister A.H.M. Mustafa Kamal implemented a car tax on multiple car ownership as a disincentive to owning more than one vehicle. These government actions and policies share one unified goal: to reduce vehicle emissions and exhaust in order to ultimately improve air quality. Globally, the international community has already begun enacting several strategies to address the impacts of climate change and air pollution. One major approach involves mobilizing industries and private-sector actors to redirect investments toward cleaner, renewable, and higher-impact sectors. Secondly, international organizations provide advisory support to help countries better understand their air quality, including identifying pollutants and determining their sources. Governments and experts also continue to enhance the evidence base for informed decision-making by expanding the use of air quality monitors, health-impact assessments, pollution tracking, sector-specific interventions, and economic analyses. Finally, significant progress has been made in strengthening global and regional movements by building networks of activists, governments, scientists, and NGOs dedicated to improving air quality and advancing environmental cooperation. These efforts have shown how combating air pollution is not as hard as it seems. As a developing country, Bangladesh encourages the global community to offer more support through climate funding, cleaner technology, and regional cooperation so nations can better reduce emissions. By working together and sharing data and resources, Bangladesh believes countries can make real progress toward cleaner air and a healthier future.
Works Cited
“Air.” UNEP – UN Environment Programme, www.unep.org/topics/air. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025. unep.org
“Climate Change Impacts on Air Quality.” U.S. EPA, www.epa.gov/climateimpacts/climate-change-impacts-air-quality. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025. US EPA
“Clean Air Act and the Economy.” U.S. EPA, www.epa.gov/clean-air-act-overview/clean-air-act-and-economy. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025
“Not so Fast, Experts Warn as Dhaka Tries to Clear the Air with Car Tax and Bus Ban.” Mongabay, 1 Jun. 2023, news.mongabay.com/2023/06/not-so-fast-experts-warn-as-dhaka-tries-to-clear-the-air-with-car-tax-and-bus-ban/. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025
“Report on Brick Kiln Pollution” (PDF). Department of Environment, Government of Bangladesh, 2020, doe.portal.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/doe.portal.gov.bd/page/cdbe516f_1756_426f_af6b_3ae9f35a78a4/2020-06-10-10-14-5c997af8b7845a59a5f8dd1c41dd7f13.pdf.
Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.
“How the Facts of Climate Change Are Connected to Its Causes and Effects.” United Nations, www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/causes-effects-climate-change. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.
“NCA5 — Fifth National Climate Assessment.” U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit, toolkit.climate.gov/NCA5 Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.
