The Opportunities and Roadmap for Multi-stakeholder Action to Advance Just Climate Transitions in Bangladesh

New report presents the opportunities and roadmap for multi-stakeholder action to advance just climate transitions in Bangladesh
Dhaka, Bangladesh; January 28, 2025: A new report identifies a pathway for Bangladesh to advance its development trajectory while reducing climate impacts by decarbonising industries as well as enhancing the resilience of workers and communities. As the seventh most climate-vulnerable country, Bangladesh urgently needs to take adequate adaptation measures to mitigate risks of job losses, reduced competitiveness, and heightened vulnerability to climate shocks. The report, “Just Climate Transitions in Bangladesh - Accelerating Multistakeholder Action in Textile and Apparel and Construction Industries”, by mission-driven consulting firm FSG is commissioned by Laudes Foundation and H&M Foundation and unveiled at the Just Transition Forum for Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is one of the fastest-growing economies globally, with industry at the heart of its growth; employing 12 million people and accounting for 34 percent of its GDP. The textile and apparel, and construction sectors, together contribute 74 percent of the industrial GDP, 80 percent of the workforce and are responsible for half of industrial emissions. These vital sectors are therefore critical to industry transition in Bangladesh.
Unlocking opportunities through a just transition
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. This report is a guide for multi-stakeholder collaboration to realise a just transition in the textile and apparel and construction sectors in Bangladesh. 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.
The report presents opportunities for achieving a just, low-carbon, and climate-resilient future in Bangladesh, including;
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Outlining multiple divergent yet plausible future scenarios for 2030 in the textile and apparel sector and the construction sector as a tool for navigating the urgency, complexity, and uncertainty around the impacts of Bangladesh’s climate transitions on its industry and its workers.
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Establishing a basis for common understanding amongst stakeholders, both within Bangladesh and globally, recommending seven interlinked priorities of areas for complementary, coordinated and collaborative action.
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Strategies that centre people in transition planning, ensuring inclusion and agency of workers and marginalised communities in decision making and accountability to them.
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Showcasing examples of initiatives already in motion, proving what is possible, and calling for collaboration to scale and accelerate these leading examples at a critical moment in Bangladesh's development.
Critical sectors to accelerate transitions
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 outlines 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 good practices already in place. To accelerate the transition, the report identifies seven interlinked priorities that will need to be pursued simultaneously.

Collective action and collaboration
“Philanthropy has the unique power to help us imagine ‘what can be,’ and this report offers a compelling blueprint for how to decarbonise leading Bangladesh sectors in a way that works for workers and communities. We look forward to building on Laudes Foundation’s long history of supporting industry transformation in Bangladesh’s textile sector and partnering with allies across the public and private sectors to accelerate just transitions across multiple industries.” - Leslie Johnston, CEO, Laudes Foundation
Just transitions cannot advance in silos and will require increased complementary and concerted action between all stakeholder groups, both within Bangladesh and with supporting international partners. While much is in place, there are still significant gaps to be filled and much wider uptake is needed to advance initiatives. Bangladesh stands at an important crossroads with an opportunity for real and lasting leadership that secures a bright future for the country, it's industries and its people.
A just transition can ensure this reality.
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Media and press enquiries can be directed to: press@laudesfoundation.org
Courtesy of FSG | Cover credits: Nongnuch Pitakkorn/istockphoto.com; onuchcha/Freepik.com; Vannet/Freepik.com; zakir1346/shutterstock.com; CognitiveDesigns