The Case for Just Transitions in the Energy, Agricultural, and Ready-Made Garments Sectors in Bangladesh

The report argues that while Bangladesh must transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy, this process must be 'just' to avoid harming vulnerable groups. It examines three key sectors: the ready-made garments (RMG) sector, which faces environmental and labour rights challenges; the energy sector, which is shifting from fossil fuels to renewables; and the agricultural sector, which is highly vulnerable to climate change and shifting toward commercial agribusiness. The document emphasizes that a just transition requires inclusive stakeholder dialogue, reskilling of workers, gender-sensitive policies, and increased international climate finance to support social protection and infrastructure.

• The ready-made garments (RMG) sector is a critical economic driver, contributing 12% of Bangladesh's GDP and employing 4 million people, 85% of whom are women from impoverished rural backgrounds. However, the sector causes significant environmental damage, such as the discharge of untreated wastewater from dyeing factories, and suffers from poor working conditions and limited job security.
• Bangladesh's energy sector is heavily dependent on fossil fuels, with gas accounting for approximately 60% and oil 30% of the energy supply. While the government aims to increase renewable energy to 30% of the energy mix via the Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan, challenges include high initial investment costs, a lack of infrastructure, and data gaps regarding energy demand and consumption.
• The agricultural sector, employing 48.4% of the population and accounting for 18% of GDP, is highly vulnerable to climate change. The shift from small-holder systems to commercial agribusiness has led to a decrease in employment (from 25.8 million to 24.2 million between 2015-2019) and the marginalization of small-holder farmers and women, who often lack land ownership and financial resources.
• Bangladesh faces significant systemic barriers to a just transition, including a large informal sector employing 87% of the labour force and extreme income inequality, where the top 10% of workers control almost 60% of the wealth while the bottom 50% control less than 5%.
• Education and finance are identified as essential cross-cutting pillars. The report recommends integrating sustainable development and green business into academic curricula and leveraging tools like Mobile Financial Services (MFS) and microcredit to increase financial inclusion for marginalized groups and women.
• The report recommends that Bangladesh hold historically high-emitting countries accountable for social and cultural losses through international forums and calls for the Global North to provide international financing to support a just transition in the Global South.

APA

Mortuza, S., & Ahmed, M. U. (2023). The Case for Just Transitions in the Energy, Agricultural, and Ready-Made Garments Sectors in Bangladesh. Climate Strategies. https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CS_S2S_Report-Just-Transition-Bangladesh_DEF.pdf

Chicago

Mortuza, Shamsad, and Minhaz Uddin Ahmed. The Case for Just Transitions in the Energy, Agricultural, and Ready-Made Garments Sectors in Bangladesh. Climate Strategies, 2023. https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CS_S2S_Report-Just-Transition-Bangladesh_DEF.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mortuza |first1=Shamsad |last2=Ahmed |first2=Minhaz Uddin |title=The Case for Just Transitions in the Energy, Agricultural, and Ready-Made Garments Sectors in Bangladesh |publisher=Climate Strategies |date=2023 |url=https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CS_S2S_Report-Just-Transition-Bangladesh_DEF.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mortuza2023case, author = {Mortuza, Shamsad and Ahmed, Minhaz Uddin}, title = {{The Case for Just Transitions in the Energy, Agricultural, and Ready-Made Garments Sectors in Bangladesh}}, institution = {Climate Strategies}, year = {2023}, url = {https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CS_S2S_Report-Just-Transition-Bangladesh_DEF.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }