The Bangladesh Climate Action Forum 2024 was successfully held on October 10 at the Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel, Dhaka, where over 450 delegates from across the globe came together to foster dialogue, collaboration, and actionable strategies to advance Bangladesh's sustainability goals.
The Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE) organized the forum as a pivotal platform uniting industry leaders, government officials, climate advocates, innovators, brands, development organizations, policymakers, and academics.
Mostafiz Uddin, a prominent leader in the industry and organizer of the second edition of the Bangladesh Climate Action Forum, stated, "Cheap labour is no longer our competitive advantage."
The garment sector is now facing new pressures: The need for sustainability and climate action. This sentiment was echoed by German Ambassador Achim Tröster, who emphasized, "Energy security is a critical concern for both Bangladesh and Germany. With Bangladesh emerging as a major regional economic power, it is vital to ensure that its energy needs are met in a way that is sustainable, secure, and resilient to the challenges posed by climate change."
The private sector’s role in driving change
One of the key takeaways from the forum was the shifting role of the private sector in driving this transformation. Lutfey Siddique noted, "Compared to earlier initiatives like the Millennium Development Goals, which were primarily driven by multinational organizations, NGOs, and governments, it’s now time to strengthen the role of the private sector."
This highlights the growing expectation for businesses, especially those in the garment sector, to lead the charge in climate action rather than relying solely on external interventions.
During the event, Michael Miller, the Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, also emphasized the urgency of the situation, saying, "For countries like Bangladesh, among one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, every fraction of a degree in global temperature increases matters."
He stressed the importance of collective responsibility, stating, "We have a shared obligation to act."
Collaboration between brands and factories
As the industry pushes toward decarbonization, an important question remains: How do factories ensure that investments in sustainability yield tangible returns for international buyers?
Brands and factories must collaborate closely, with buyers sharing costs in areas such as carbon emissions reduction and fabric recycling. However, for such partnerships to succeed, data collection will be crucial. Factories will need to track and report on their carbon footprint to demonstrate that their efforts are making a measurable impact.
According to Faisal Rabbi, an Energy Specialist at the World Bank and panelist at the event, the focus of decarbonization in the garment sector lies in two key areas: Energy efficiency and energy generation.
He pointed out that many factories in Bangladesh still rely heavily on natural gas-based captive generation rather than renewable energy, and are not yet connected to the national grid because of its unreliability. However, those captive generators often waste energy through exhaust gas boilers or chillers.
Furthermore, many factories use inefficient machinery, with motors rated as low as IE1 (where IE5 is the most efficient). These inefficiencies not only hinder sustainability goals, but also limit the sector’s potential for long-term cost savings, while increasing pressure on the country's fossil fuel imports.
Optimism for the future
Thijs Woudstra, Charge d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, expressed optimism about the direction of the industry, saying, "I'm really happy that the garment industry is moving forward to decarbonization and advancing positive climate action considering the national and global energy crisis."
As Bangladesh's garment industry moves beyond its reliance on cheap labour, sustainability and decarbonization will become the new competitive advantages. With collaborative efforts between brands and factories, the path forward for Bangladesh’s garment sector lies in embracing climate action as both a moral imperative and an economic opportunity.
Julia Wesemann is the Director of Growing Together and Founder of Co-creation lab.
