Context
To achieve ETI’s global vision and strategy, ETI Bangladesh has been delivering multiple programmes in RMG factories in Bangladesh including Social Dialogue Programme, Occupational Health & Safety Programme, Gender Sensitive Workplace Programme (GSWP) and Green Social Dialogue (GSD) programme. Since its inception in 2015, ETI Bangladesh has worked in more than 100 factories through its programmes and has increased the well-being of more than 263,000 workers including 136,591 women workers. ETI Bangladesh intends to work on many other thematic areas extending its involvement with the stakeholders at multi-levels to produce more tangible and sustainable outcomes. ETI Bangladesh has recently developed its three-year strategic plan (2023-2025), which includes climate change action as one of the key strategic goals. Specifically, to identify challenges occurring in the intersection between Climate Change & Workers’ Rights; and design & implement initiatives based on Just Transition Principles to mitigate them.
Aligning with its strategic goal, ETI, in partnership with five members brands, is now rolling out its first pilot exercise on the green social dialogue in five RMG factories. This pilot exercise emphasises building capacity and awareness among factory workforce to facilitate worker-led climate actions.
Aiming at contributing to the achievements of the global development agenda- SDG 7, 8, 12 & 13, the national development agenda of Bangladesh government (8th five-year plan, Vision 2041, Nationally Determined Contribution-NDC under the Paris Agreement), ETI Bangladesh also plans to further engage with and influence its significant network of local and international stakeholders to implement collective action to enable a just transition to an environmentally sustainable and climate-friendly RMG sector in Bangladesh.
In this context, ETI Bangladesh initiated a project titled “Promoting Just Transition and environmental sustainability in the Bangladesh RMG Industry” in June 2023.
Strategic goal
The challenges occurring in the intersection between climate change & workers’ rights are identified and necessary collective interventions are designed and implemented based on Just Transition Principles to create an environmentally sustainable, climate-sensitive and workers’ rights-friendly RMG sector in Bangladesh.
Overall objective
Improve the environmental sustainability of the Bangladesh RMG sector by increasing engagement from the business community to enable collaboration and innovation across multiple-stakeholders to create a supportive constituency that works together towards a climate-friendly RMG sector.
Specific objectives
- Increase awareness and understanding of the vital importance of transitioning to a climate friendly sector in line with Just Transition principles in the Bangladesh RMG sector.
- Establish a sectoral-level multi-stakeholder working group that is committed to collaborating on advancing towards a climate friendly RMG sector, with a specific focus on a Just Transition to clean energy and environmentally sustainable production methods.
Major interventions
Creating and consolidating evidence through action and secondary research (perception, readiness of the stakeholders and a policy mapping), constituency building through direct advocacy, evidence sharing and awareness raising with relevant stakeholders (government, business associations, brands, workers’ federations, factory management, CSOs), learning consolidation and dissemination, sectoral level multi-stakeholder roundtable, dialogue with JETI South Asia Forum, and formation & facilitation of a sectoral level working group.
The research was published in partnership with BRAC University.