The report, titled ‘Just Climate Transitions in Bangladesh—Accelerating Multi-stakeholder Action in Textile and Apparel and Construction Industries’, by mission-driven consulting firm FSG was released recently at the Just Transition Forum for Bangladesh in Dhaka.
As the seventh most climate-vulnerable country, Bangladesh needs urgent steps to mitigate risks of job losses, reduced competitiveness and heightened vulnerability to climate shocks, a report commissioned by Laudes Foundation and H&M Foundation said.
A holistic approach is needed to decarbonise, build resilience and secure the long-term competitiveness of the textile and apparel sectors, it noted.
The textile and apparel, and construction sectors, together contribute 74 per cent of the industrial gross domestic product (GDP), 80 per cent of the workforce and are responsible for half of industrial emissions. These vital sectors are therefore critical to industry transition in Bangladesh, the report noted.
Pursuing just transitions presents a pathway for Bangladesh to protect its development trajectory, generating opportunities for business and the potential to create new, high-quality jobs and access to new markets, a released from the Laudes Foundation said.
It highlights the urgency for advancing just transitions identifying the opportunities for policymakers, industry leaders, financial actors, youth and civil society in Bangladesh as well as partners globally to take action.
A holistic approach is urgently needed to decarbonise, build resilience and secure the long-term competitiveness of the textile and apparel, and construction sectors while creating decent work opportunities, the report said, outlining strategies to ensure that the voices and lived experiences of workers are central to climate transition planning and implementation.
Drawing on inputs from over 100 Bangladeshi and international stakeholders, the report presents ten scenarios: multiple potential futures that explore the entire spectrum of possibilities, positive and negative within both sectors.
Two scenarios—Green Forest (sustainable fashion with low unemployment and competitive markets) and Green City (low-carbon, climate-resilient construction)—showcase the full potential of industry transitions to protect industry competitiveness and resilience, create quality jobs and fair outcomes for workers and their communities.
To fully realise the promise of these best-case scenarios, the report calls on industry, worker rights organisations, policymakers, development organisations, skilling providers, finance, and philanthropy to collaborate on developing new approaches and scaling existing sound practices.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
