Going green while protecting workers' rights

The garment industry in Bangladesh is undergoing rapid changes. With international brands committed to reduce their supply chain footprint and green certification incentives from the Bangladeshi government, manufacturers are investing in greener practices. Given that the fashion industry stands for a considerable share of global carbon emissions, change is urgent. However, workers’ rights need to be protected to make sure the transition is not only green, but also just.

Contributing to the just transition discussion, Swedwatch and the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation (BGIWF) joined forces to host a four-day workshop in Dhaka. The initiative aimed to identify key considerations for a more inclusive and rights-based transition towards sustainable practices in the garment industry.

The key considerations raised during the workshop are summarised in the paper “Ensuring a Green and Just Transition in Bangladesh’s Garment Sector”. The paper also outlines recommendations for garment buyers sourcing from Bangladesh and for private and public institutions supporting projects related to a just transition .

Key considerations include:
✔️Climate change exacerbates workers’ vulnerability.
✔️Greener factories is no guarantee for good working conditions.
✔️Automation means jobb losses.
✔️Trade unions and defenders are left out of dialogues.

Key recommendations include:
✔️ The human rights and environment due diligence (HREDD) should cover climate-related human rights risks, including labour rights risks linked to climate impacts as well as climate mitigation policies.
✔️ Ensure that measures to reduce environmental footprints do not come at the expense of labour rights.
✔️ Involve workers and trade unions in dialogues and measures to combat environmental impacts.
✔️Do not treat environmental certifications as a proxy for HREDD.
Learn more in the report!

Around 120 trade union representatives from 12 different trade unions, covering both top-level leaders, women, youth and factory-level representatives, participated in the workshop i Dhaka.