Securing Green Transition in Bangladesh’s Textile & RMG Sector
The Securing Green Transition initiative, led by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) in partnership with the Swedish Embassy, aims to green the textile and RMG sector of Bangladesh for improved outcomes in the economy, society, and for workers—including women and youth. Central to the initiative are research and data generation, extensive stakeholder consultation, and dissemination of findings and recommendations to drive climate-neutral and sustainable industrial growth.
Five-Axis Transformation via CPD’s Green Transition Initiative
Data: CPD conducted a nationwide survey of over 400 textile and RMG factories, alongside 130 key informant interviews and multiple focus group discussions. These were used to assess the current adoption of green practices, factory knowledge, drivers and barriers to green transition, and worker perceptions of environmental sustainability.
Capacity Building / Technical Assistance: Building on the data, the initiative supports capacity development through stakeholder dialogues and expert group meetings. These platforms enable factories, industry associations, government units, and development partners to engage with findings and plan actionable interventions.
Technology / Machinery: The initiative explores best practices for green transformation that would include cleaner production processes, enhanced energy and resource efficiency, improved chemical management, and adoption of environmentally friendly technologies at the factory level.
Finance: Economic incentives and green finance mechanisms are key themes. The initiative reviews fiscal measures such as subsidies, tax benefits, and incentives aimed at encouraging factories—particularly small and medium enterprises—to invest in sustainable production practices.
Policy: The research offers recommendations across five thematic areas, including policy and regulatory reforms, economic incentives, green financial frameworks, awareness and knowledge sharing, and skills and capacity development. CPD advocates for multistakeholder consultations to influence regulations, develop unified green standards, and institutionalise green certification frameworks.
Strategic Impact & Value Proposition
Evidence-based Action: The initiative provides a robust evidence base on the green transition, enabling targeted, data-driven policy and practice decisions.
Empowering Stakeholders: By involving government, industry players, buyers, workers, and researchers, the initiative ensures shared responsibility and meaningful engagement in designing sustainable solutions.
Boosting Competitiveness: Adopting greener practices not only addresses environmental and regulatory demands but could also enhance productivity, reduce resource costs, and improve global market access.
Inclusive Job Creation: Emphasis on empowering women and youth in the green transition supports the creation of decent, climate-friendly employment opportunities.
Systemic Transformation: The initiative lays the groundwork for more comprehensive, sector-wide adoption of environmentally compliant standards and green production principles, aligned with Bangladesh’s graduation from LDC status.