Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Bangladesh
Bangladesh Numbers
at a Glance (2012)
190 MtCO₂e*
Total GHG emissions(0.40% of world total)
World: 47,599 MtCO₂e
154,695,368**
Population
World: 7,043,181,414

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions by Sector
Bangladesh’s GHG emissions from various sectors are shown below for 2012, the most recent
year for which data are available. Agriculture is the leading contributor, with 39% of total
emissions coming from the following agriculture sub-sector activities: rice cultivation (32%),
enteric fermentation (31%), manure left on pasture (12%), and the remainder from five othersub-sectors.1 The energy sector is the second highest emitter, with energy sub-sectors as follows:electricity and heat production (46%), other fuel combustion (21%), manufacturing andconstruction (20%), and transportation (14%).2 Land-use change and forestry (LUCF) and Waste
represent the third and fourth highest emitters, accounting for 31% and 18%, respectively.

1.23
tCO₂e per capita
World: 6.76 tCO₂e

Agriculture
subsectors

US$91,745 Million
GDP**
World: US$55,261 Billion

2,069
tCO₂e/million US$ GDP
World: 861 tCO₂e/million US$Energy subsectors

GDP+70 MtCO₂e (+59%)
Change in GHG
emissions (1990–2012)
World: +13,661 MtCO₂e(+40%)
Source for all Numbers at a Glancevalues: WRI CAIT 2.0, 2015
Emissions including Land-Use Changeand Forestry*Million metric tons of carbon
dioxide equivalent**Gross Domestic Product (GDP)in constant 2005 US$
This document has been preparedbased on information available atthe date of publication, and does
not reflect official views of theU.S. government. Judgment andknowledge of the national context
should be used to interpret andsupplement this information.
USAID assumes no liability for thecontents or use of the information
contained in this document.

Sources: WRI CAIT 2.0, 2015; FAOSTAT, 2015
Note: Percentages do not add up to 100% due to rounding
2

Change in GHG Emissions in Bangladesh (1990-2012)

Bangladesh’s emissions grew 59% from 1990 to 2012 according to WRI CAIT. The averageannual change during this time was 2%, with sector-specific annual change as follows: agriculture(1%), energy (7%), land-use change and forestry (0%), waste (2%), and industrial processes (IP)(17%). Agriculture sector emissions grew slightly from around 60 MTCO2e in 1990, whereas IPgrew dramatically but from a very low 1990 value.
Energy: Bangladesh’s energy needs are met by natural gas (56%), traditional biomass and waste(24%), oil (16%), coal (3%), and hydropower and solar (1% combined).3 Demand for electricity isgrowing by an estimated 500MW per year due to population growth, industrialization, and use ofmodern household appliances. The Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan
1

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Statistics Division (FAOSTAT), viewed October 16, 2015:
http://faostat3.fao.org/browse/area/*/E.
2World Resources Institute Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (WRI CAIT) 2.0, 2015.
3
Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, 2015. The 2015 Global Climate Legislation Study –Bangladesh.

(BCCSAP, 2009) identifies improving transportation sector energy consumption as a priority since its share of emissions
is growing faster than any other sector. One study4 notes the steady decline of gas production and severe shortages thatare causing rolling electricity blackouts, which calls into question the projection of the Second National Communication(SNC)5 to the UNFCCC that emissions growth from power generation would be mitigated by the replacement of steam
turbines by plants using combined cycle gas turbines. The SNC, published in October 2012 for the inventory years 2001
and 2005, projected a threefold increase in energy sector GHGs from 2005 to 2030, with industrial energy use driving
the growth, followed by transportation. In power generation, the SNC also noted that planned expansion of 10,000MWof coal fired capacity would increase emissions. It identified textile, leather, fertilizer, and brick production to also bemajor sources of carbon dioxide from industry and road transport taking an increasing share of all transportation carbon
dioxide emissions.
Agriculture: Rice is by far the leading crop produced in Bangladesh, with production growing from 36 to 51 million
tons from 2001-2011.6 Bangladesh’s SNC
describes several water regimes employed
for rice cultivation: irrigated, upland, rainfed, flood-prone, and drought-prone. Of
these, irrigated fields show the highest
rates of methane emissions and uplandfields, which are not flooded, the least. The
SNC reported a slight decrease inemissions from rice cultivation from 2000
to 2005, however the reason for this isnot clear. It is also important to note that
irrigated rice is more productive thanupland rice. From 2000-2005, the SNC
also reported an increase in GHG
emissions from enteric fermentation,
manure and poultry litter management,
and a very slight decrease in GHG
emissions from field burning of agriculturalresidue. The SNC further notes many
uncertainties in these estimates, inparticular from emissions from manure
management and field burning ofagriculture residues.

Contribution of GHG Emitting
Sectors to Economic Growthand Development Objectives
The country’s Vision 2021 and theassociated Perspective Plan (2010-2021)
set development targets to transform
Bangladesh from a low income economy
Source: WRI CAIT 2.0, 2015
to the first stages of a middle income
economy by 2021. Bangladesh’s Sixth Five Year Plan FY2011-FY2015 notes that agriculture’s share of gross domestic
product (GDP) continues to fall, employing 48% of the labor force in FY2010 but accounting for 19% of GDP. Overall,according to CAIT, Bangladesh’s GDP over 1990-2012 increased at a considerably greater rate than total GHG
emissions, signaling that Bangladesh’s carbon intensity had decreased relative to 1990. However, emissions relative toGDP remain well over double the world average and there remains great potential to further reduce carbon intensity.

4 Ibid.
5

Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Second National Communication of Bangladesh to the United Nations Framework Convention on ClimateChange, October 2012.
6
FAOSTAT.

April 2016

Climate Change Mitigation Targets and Plans
Bangladesh’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC7), published in September 2015, puts forth an
unconditional contribution to reduce GHG emissions by 5% from business as usual levels by 2030 (12 MtCO2e) frompower, transportation, and industry. It pledges to increase its contribution to 15% reduction (36 MtCO2e), subject tointernational support, and pledges further mitigation actions in other sectors, also subject to additional international
resources.
5% unconditional reduction
from existing mitigation
actions, such as:

Increased, conditional contribution
to 15% from additional mitigation
actions, such as:

Further mitigation in other sectors,
conditional upon international support,such as:• Improve energy efficiency inenergy production andconsumption• Gas exploration and reservoirmanagement• Develop coal mines and coalfired power stations(s)• Renewable energy development• Lower emissions fromagricultural land
• Manage urban waste• Afforestation and reforestation• Power: All new coal generation to use
super-critical technology; increase
penetration of wind power; implement
grid-connected solar• Transport: Modal shift from road torail; reduce traffic congestion including
building expressways and public
transport• Industry (energy-related): energy audits
to incentivize uptake of energy efficiency
in the main industrial sectors• Households: Improve gas cookstoves;replacement biomass with LPG;
encourage energy efficiency• Commercial buildings : Incentivize energy
efficiency and rainwater harvesting• Agriculture: Increase mechanization to
reduce draft cattle; increase organic
manure, scale up production by alternate
drying and wetting irrigation• Waste: Composting and landfill gas
capture and power generation• Land use, land-use change and forestry:
Plant coastal mangroves; plantation inisland areas; afforestation/reforestation inreserved forests; social and homesteadforestry• Policy level: Policy and institutional
capacity building for adaptation planning

Bangladesh’s strategies and plans serve as the foundation of the INDC, including:••••

BCCSAP, September 2009 – Mitigation and Low Carbon Development is one of six pillars
Renewable Energy Policy 2008 – Deliver 5% of energy from renewable sources by 2015 and 10% by 2020
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Master Plan, March 2015 – Reduce energy intensity per unit of GDP by 20%
by 2030 relative to the 2013 baseline
National Sustainable Development Strategy (2010-2021), May 2013 – Discusses climate change under theenvironment, natural resource, and disaster management priority area

7

Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF), Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Intended Nationally Determined Contributions. September 2015:
http://www4.unfccc.int/submissions/INDC/Published%20Documents/Bangladesh/1/INDC_2015_of_Bangladesh.pdf.

April 2016