Mostafiz Uddin

Fashion and textile supply chains stand to benefit greatly from the rise of the responsible investor.

Advocacy efforts in Bangladesh have been part of the national dialogue centring wages for several decades.

International buyers can rest assured they can place orders here with confidence.

If it’s left to garment suppliers, the green transition will take decades.

While carbon offsetting has gained momentum and support, it is not without its share of critics.

There are environmental, economic, social, and geopolitical ramifications to continuing on a business-as-usual path.

Climate change is worsening the situation and the financial and humanitarian costs brought by this calamity are racking up.

Carbon capture and storage involves capturing CO2 emissions from industrial processes or power plants and storing them underground.

There is no doubt that automation can be both a threat and an opportunity for our garment industry and its workers, depending on how it is implemented and managed.

Governments have the power to promote and support textile recycling initiatives in several ways.

We are not geared for such runs in the same way that some manufacturers in Europe are.

Will we see an industry which has fewer and larger players?

Better wages cannot be introduced by any one actor alone.

What happens when you have done all that you can, but your emissions continue to go in the wrong direction?

Without fashion retailers and their suppliers working together, our industry as a whole will continue to see emissions rising.

It is time to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels altogether.

How can we reduce CO2 emissions associated with our industry?

As we head into 2023, there is a sense of trepidation in the business landscape. As 2022 drew to a close, it felt at times like many companies were limping towards the end of the year.

Targets for carbon emissions are closing in fast on some of Bangladesh's largest trading partners. Some have set targets for 2030. Things are moving more quickly than anybody could have imagined on this issue.

I am not ruling out the possibility of Bangladesh being granted a place in the GSP+. I would rather argue that we need to also prepare for a time when we can stand on our own two feet as far as international trade is concerned. To do this, I believe we now need to make faster moves on bilateral Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and also preferential trading agreements (PTAs) with some of our existing trading partners, where we can negotiate mutually gainful benefits and opportunities. It is a new game that our government and businesses must start preparing for.