The problem

Bangladesh’s carbon bomb

Companies like  Mitsubishi, JERA, JICA and GE are about to release a carbon bomb in Chattogram that the world and Bangladesh can’t afford, threatening climate, local ecosystems and communities.

Harm to climate

The projects, if built, would release 1.3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. This impact would cancel out any gains made under Japan’s 2030 emissions reduction target more than two times over.

Avoidable deaths

Every year Bangladesh experiences 73,000 avoidable deaths related to health impacts from air pollution from burning fossil fuels

Significant cost

By 2030, Bangladesh’s annual LNG import cost would be an estimated US$8.4 billion. The expected LNG-to-power project cost of US$960 million per GW on average would total close to US$18 billion for Chattogram alone. This is six times more than the country’s 2022 budget to tackle climate change.

What is at stake

Chattogram is home to beautiful beaches and Bangladesh’s last rainforest. This area, and the communities that live and raise families there are under threat from the fossil fuel buildout. Bangladesh has the potential to meet its new energy needs with renewable sources like wind and solar. Moreover, these sources do not require expensive and environmentally destructive fuel imports.

Threat to biodiversity

Chattogram is home to at least 26 globally threatened species that live in the hill tracts including the great Asian Elephant, Clouded Leopard and Chinese pangolin, among others.

Chattogram

Beautiful beaches

Cox’s Bazar is one of the world’s longest natural beaches and a favourite tourist destination for the people of Bangladesh. Stretching across 100 kilometres, the blue waters, golden sandy beaches, and tropical weather of Cox’s Bazar attracts 10,000,000 tourists every year.

Help keep fossil fuels out of Chattogram (and the rest of Bangladesh)!

Send a message to GE, Mitsubishi, JERA, JICA and other companies urging them to stop building fossil fuel infrastructure, to protect the livelihoods and health of local communities and our climate, and preserve this region, its beautiful beaches and wildlife.

“I used to earn my livelihood through fishing. Now I can’t do it anymore since the coal power plant’s construction began.”

– Nazimuddin, fisherfolk of Kohelia River, Matarbari, Bangladesh

“I’ve learned that after the coal power plant is built, it will emit toxic gases and harm our salt and betel leaf farms.”

– Mohammad Mizan, Saltworker, Maheshkali, Bangladesh

“My house has collapsed due to sand removal for the construction of the Matabari coal power project.”

– Saleha Begum, Matarbari, Bangladesh

Matarbari 2: An unnecessary, polluting power plant

Arguably the most damaging proposal in the Chattogram region was Matarbari 2, a 1,200 megawatt (MW) coal power station which was proposed to be built and funded by Japanese companies, contradicting Japan’s commitment to end coal financing made through the G7 in 2021. The Matarbari 1 project has already resulted in damage to local waterways while people have been displaced and lost their livelihoods as a result of construction.

JICA was reportedly requested to fund Matarbari 2.

2000

Number of fisherfolk who lost livelihoods as a result of the construction and filling in the Kohelia River.

$1.9B

The cost in overrun (in US$ billion) announced by Matarbari 1’s implementation agency, roughly 46% of the original cost (Taka 164.05 billion)

In June 2022, Japan announced it won’t fund Matarbari 2. The Bangladesh Government officially cancelled Matarbari 2, announcing plans to build an LNG to power project instead.

A Carbon Catastrophe in the Making: The dirty energy plans in Chattogram, Bangladesh

This report details the fossil fuel buildout in Chattogram. Known throughout Bangladesh for its beautiful beaches and mountainous terrains with deep tropical forests, the Chattogram division of Bangladesh is now at risk of being the location of one of the world’s biggest carbon catastrophes. Plans by companies predominantly from Japan and the United States to massively expand fossil fuels in Bangladesh overwhelmingly focus on the Chattogram division, the location of two-thirds of the proposed new fossil fuel capacity in Bangladesh.