Bangladeshi Climate Campaigner dead at 71, tributes pour in

DHAKA: Veteran Bangladeshi climate scientist and campaigner, Saleemul Huq, a ‘driving force for climate justice’ has reportedly passed away at the age of 71, on Sunday.

Saleemul Huq’s death was announced by the think tank he directed, after which tributes started to pour in from climate campaigners, diplomats and others. Tasneem Essop, head of the Climate Action Network, described him as a “giant in our movement“.

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Jennifer Morgan, a German climate envoy and former Greenpeace head said: “Saleem has been a driving force for climate justice since the beginning of the climate debate”. Morgan added, “[Saleem’s] brilliant mind, ability to say what has to be said and dogged determination have been beacons for decades”.

Saleemul Huq served as a champion for developing countries and their calls for support against the rising threat of climate change. As a campaigner and advisor, he was at the helm of addressing the impact of climate change.

Born in 1952, he studied plant biochemistry at University College London before moving back to Bangladesh in the 1980s and setting up the country’s first think tank on environmental issues. In the 1990s Huq served as a leading author on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s first chapter addressing the need to adapt to climate change.

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Bangladeshi Climate Campaigner dead at 71, tributes pour in | Baaghi TV

During his extensive career, he was an active campaigner for the countries least developed and/or the most vulnerable to climate change. He attended all Cop Summits, starting from the Summit in Berlin in 1995, to the one in Egypt in 2022. He also served as an adviser to the Cop28 presidency. Through his work and campaigning, he laid emphasis on the importance of adapting to the changing climate while working to reduce emissions.

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Following reports of his death, Rachel Kyte a climate adviser said: “What a loss… Saleem, quietly determined, drove the whole world forward”.

Saleemul Huq pushed for richer, developed countries to help those suffering from the climate crisis. His efforts reached a culmination last year when the global leadership agreed to set up a loss and damage fund. After the agreement was reached, citing “urgency” he wrote: “Please try your best to get something up and operational by Cop28 rather than Cop29 or Cop30”.

Indian author Amitav Ghosh has also paid tribute to the climate scientist, describing him as “one of the most important voices from the global south, tireless in his advocacy of climate justice”.

In the climate space, Professor Saleemul Huq was one of the most important voices from the global south, tireless in his advocacy of climate justice. His death, at a time when voices like his are most needed, is a tragic loss. https://t.co/eTVxGUyo7x
— Amitav Ghosh (@GhoshAmitav) October 29, 2023

Likewise, Harjeet Singh, Head-Global Political Strategy at Climate Action Network International (CAN) remembered Huq on X (formerly Twitter): “Our mission remains unfinished… Your life, Saleem, serves as an enduring beacon of inspiration for both present and future generations”. Singh further wrote: “I pledge to redouble my efforts, to uphold the torch, and to champion the cause with even more passion and hard work. I’ll do this in honour of your legacy”.

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My Tribute to Saleemul Huq 🙏

Saleem, your departure was far too soon. Our mission remains unfinished…

It's hard to grasp that you won’t be at COP28, especially when you've attended all 27 preceding COPs.

Just yesterday, as I virtually attended the Loss & Damage session in… pic.twitter.com/RMEjIGHhhX
— Harjeet Singh (@harjeet11) October 29, 2023

Huq, 71, a “visionary” was named one of the top 10 scientists in the world last year. Mohamed Adow, director of the energy and climate think tank Power Shift Africa, remembered Huq as “a titan of the climate movement who stood out in a field dominated by scientists from Europe and North America”.

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