Speakers at a dialogue stressed the need for a comprehensive policy framework that includes workers to make Bangladesh’s readymade garment (RMG) sector environmentally friendly and address climate change challenges. They emphasised that this effort requires collaboration between owners and various stakeholders, along with amendments to relevant laws to effectively address ‘green transition’ or ‘just transition’ challenges.
The Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment (Oshe) Foundation organised the dialogue, titled Green Energy Transition in RMG Sector, recently in Dhaka
During the dialogue, AKM Masum Ul Alam, an Occupational Safety, Health, and Labour Inspection Specialist at ILO Bangladesh, highlighted that approximately 80 million jobs are at risk worldwide due to climate change even as he noted that there is insufficient awareness in Bangladesh about what ‘just transition’ means and how to achieve it.
Additionally, he mentioned that while Bangladesh’s labour law addresses certain environmental aspects like air and sound quality, more comprehensive measures are needed.
Syed Tasnem Mahmood, the Chief Executive Officer of Greenbud, presented preliminary findings from a baseline study on 30 RMG factories. The study indicated that about 50 per cent of managers and executives in these factories are aware of the concept of green transition. However, when it comes to both executives and workers, only 30 per cent have knowledge about their factories’ transition to green energy even if most respondents mentioned the use of solar panels and energy-efficient light bulbs as examples of green energy transition in their factories.
Despite the potential for the RMG sector to transition to green energy, the lack of a comprehensive policy framework remains a significant challenge. Razequzzaman Ratan, the president of Samajtantrik Sramik Front, stressed the importance of ensuring the well-being of workers in this transition. He emphasised the need for both factories and workers to go ‘green’ through combined efforts.
