This new report from Climate Strategies and the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) provides recommendations for policymakers to embed Just Transitions across key sectors in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries and requires adaptation across many sectors of its economy. The country currently invests approximately 6-7 percent of its annual budget on enhancing climate resilience through adaptation initiatives. This transitions to a climate-resilient, low carbon economy, while necessary, could negatively impact certain vulnerable individuals and communities whose livelihoods may be affected by changing practices.

The concept of ‘just transitions’ prompts consideration of how these changes across key sectors in Bangladesh should be managed to ensure they uplift communities, boost employment by tapping into green sectors, and engage key stakeholders – including marginalised voices – in decision-making. Just transition planning is essential to minimizing negative impacts, particularly on vulnerable people.

Key recommendations

• Create spaces for broad stakeholder dialogue to identify and manage risks.
• Increase coordination across key ministries, such as the ministries of labour, energy, and environment, as well as in other government portfolios where policy levers exist to help buffer, or otherwise manage the impacts of a transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient society (e.g. through social protection systems).
• Institutionalize learning in government institutes to ensure continuity in just transition planning.
• Work with non-government actors to identify and fill in data gaps related to the sectors likely to be most impacted by transitions, and those groups who may be most affected.
• Broaden the way climate finance is used so that funds are also targeted at providing social and economic support to stakeholders and communities that may be negatively affected by these changes.
• Support key social programs, such as reskilling of workers, with a focus on restorative justice to ensure that those who have previously been excluded from such programs (women, youth, those from poorer communities) are able to participate in new green industries.
• Ensure the education sector develops programs and curricula that prepare children and youth for roles in the green economy, as well as build understanding across society of the impacts of climate change and strategies for adaptation.
• Through international forums, hold historically high emitting countries accountable for social and cultural losses, in addition to economic losses, as a result of climate change.
• Stand in solidarity with the Global South to evidence the need for international financing to support climate action and to ensure it is designed to achieve a just transition.