The International Labour Organization (ILO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Laudes Foundation, and Thomson Reuters Foundation (TRF) came together to organize the Bangladesh Just Transition Academy on 6 May 2025.
The Bangladesh Just Transition Academy is a two-day event happening in Dhaka on the 6-7th May 2025 convening key national stakeholders to reflect on and improve the understanding of what a just transition towards an environmentally sustainable and resilient economy and society means for Bangladesh. The Academy involves panel discussions among stakeholders, presentations from youth climate entrepreneurs, interactive breakout sessions, and is expected to culminate in a call to action between the government, employers’, and workers’ organizations to work collectively towards a just transition.
Launching the academy, Ms Syeda Rizwana Hasan, honourable Advisor, Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change today in Dhaka, the Advisor urged every public to enshrine just transition values in the vision and interventions of the government for Bangladesh economy and society to move towards sustainability. This shift should be “protective of our labourers, soil and air” and “prepare for the future of our children”.
ILO Country Director, Mr Tuomo Poutiainen said that ILO’s just transition framework speaks not only about the workers from formal and informal sectors but also includes communities to give them agency and voice on issues affecting their lives.
Ms Maria Stridsman, Head of Cooperation, Embassy of Sweden called to avoid for piecemeal approaches in policy making, and for inclusion of women and informal sector workers in policy dialogues and policy processes to ensure that they too benefit from just transition.
Mr Jiaoqun Shi, FAO Representative in Bangladesh, FAO, said that the UN is UN is supporting the Government of Bangladesh to access and leverage climate finance—including through the Green Climate Fund and other mechanisms—to scale up investments in adaptation and resilience.
Mr. Badal Khan, Chairperson, National Coordination Committee for Worker’s Education (NCCWE), and Mr. Ardashir Kabir, President, Bangladesh Employers’ Federation (BEF) also attended the opening session of the Academy, and underscored the critical roles of workers, communities and the employers in advancing Just Transition in the country.
Naureen Chowdhury, head of the Laudes Foundation in Dhaka, moderated the first panel discussion on defining what a Just Transition means for Bangladesh in collaboration with ILOs Just Tranistion action programme, FAO, the head of the Bangladeshi labour reform commission and the Unilever ESG specialist
The event is also being supported by the Team Europe Initiative- European Union, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden- and Global Affairs Canada.
Participants from ILOs social partners, government ministries, line departments, corporate and business, workers, youth organizations and funding partners are participating in this academy.