BGMEA, BKMEA call for collective, lasting solutions to secure RMG's energy future

The garment and textile industry cannot achieve its green energy transition through individual factory initiatives alone but require coordinated action from government and other stakeholders to overcome the ongoing energy crisis and secure long-term competitiveness, BGMEA and BKMEA leaders stressed at a conference in Chattogram on Monday.

The call came at the third “Rapid Energy Transition Conference: Powering Security, Sustainability and Growth in Bangladesh RMG,” organised by Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) Bangladesh at a hotel in Chattogram, says a press release. Building on the previous conferences held in Dhaka and Narayanganj, the event explored challenges and potential solutions for energy transition in Chattogram.

The conference brought together 85 participants, including 70 factory representatives, eight members of BGMEA and BKMEA’s leadership based in Chattogram, and one worker representative, alongside industry experts, bankers, and renewable energy service providers.

Industry representatives warned that while factories are under growing pressure to reduce carbon emissions and meet international buyers' sustainability requirements, limitations in renewable-energy availability, infrastructure and financing continue to constrain their ability to complete transition.

Enamul Aziz Chowdhury, director and acting vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and managing director of HK TG Garments Ltd, emphasised that the current energy crisis has exposed the vulnerability of Bangladesh's dependence on imported fossil fuels and the need for a more sustainable energy system.

“Renewable energy and carbon reduction are no longer simply environmental agendas or corporate social responsibility initiatives. They are directly linked to our industry's ability to survive and remain competitive in global markets,” Chowdhury said.

He warned that the industry must look beyond temporary responses to the energy crisis and prepare for the changing global trade environment, particularly Bangladesh's upcoming graduation from least developed country (LDC) status and increasing environmental and climate-related requirements in export markets.

He also added that this transition cannot be undertaken by the manufacturers alone and rather require support from government, accessible green financing, technical assistance and long-term partnerships with global brands and buyers.

Echoing the urgency, Md Yasin, director of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and managing director of Sonnet Group of Companies Ltd, warned that rising energy insecurity, global economic pressures and changing international market requirements are increasingly challenging the sustainability of Bangladesh's RMG industry.

“Renewable energy transition is no longer a luxury. It has become a global necessity for the long-term survival of our industry,” Yasin said.

He urged manufacturers to make effective use of the preparation period before LDC graduation to improve energy efficiency, accelerate renewable-energy adoption and strengthen compliance with emerging global sustainability standards.

Chattogram's significance as one of Bangladesh's major industrial and commercial centres made the discussion particularly relevant. Home to a substantial garment, textile and export-oriented manufacturing base, including factories within and beyond export processing zones, the region faces energy challenges that directly affect production continuity, operating costs and export competitiveness.

Speakers emphasised that the transition must reach industrial regions outside Dhaka and respond to their region-specific infrastructure, investment and operational challenges.

The discussion highlighted a critical limitation: rooftop solar alone may not be sufficient for factories to meet growing renewable-energy requirements from international buyers.

The discussions therefore called for solutions beyond individual factory installations, including off-site expansion of renewable power, mechanisms to purchase renewable electricity from external producers, decarbonisation of the national grid and more effective incentives for factories supplying surplus solar power.

Closing the conference, Lt Comd (retd) Md Kutubuddin, additional secretary of BGMEA, highlighted the opportunities to utilise available land in Chattogram, including potentially unused spaces within export processing zones, for renewable-energy generation and supply to the national grid.

Md Althaf Uddin, Senior Joint Secretary (Admin) of BKMEA and Member of the Labour Court, Chattogram, called for long-term planning to ensure that the industry can sustain its operations over the next five to ten years.

Drawing on the garment industry's collective efforts to strengthen factory compliance following the Rana Plaza incidence, he emphasised that similar cooperation would be necessary to ensure energy sovereignty in Bangladesh.

Representing the workers' perspective, Md Hasan Ali, convenor of the Worker-led Climate Action Network (Worker CAN) and president of the Youth Committee of the Bangladesh National Trade Union Federation (BNTUF), stressed that renewable-energy transition must protect not only production and business competitiveness but also workers' rights, employment and livelihoods.

“This industry belongs to all of us. If factory owners engage workers and trade unions in the transition process, we can play an effective role in making the industry more sustainable,” Hasan Ali said.

Munir Uddin Shamim, director for programme, evidence and learning at ETI Bangladesh, emphasised that the industry's transition requires systemic change rather than isolated factory initiatives. He highlighted ETI’s role in connecting and leveraging relationship with industry stakeholders such as BGMEA, BKMEA, global brands and worker leaders along with advocating for policy and systemic changes to accelerate a renewable-energy transition.

The conference featured two working sessions examining the urgency of renewable-energy transition and available financing and technology pathways.

Jannatul Ferdaus, research officer at ETI Bangladesh, outlined the global, national and sectoral drivers of the energy crisis and its impacts on factory operations, supply chains and workers' livelihoods.

Sadia Rowshon Adhora of the Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network (CLEAN) presented the environmental, social and economic benefits of solar power.

The second session brought together financial institutions and renewable-energy service providers to explore practical investment pathways. SAIFUL A Chowdhury of BRAC Bank PLC and Gultekin Binte Azad of City Bank PLC presented green financing and refinancing opportunities, while Nure Alam, chief executive officer of the Greener Garments Initiative (GGI), highlighted renewable-energy technologies and third-party financing arrangements that could help factories overcome upfront investment barriers.

The discussions brought forward several priorities and recommendations:

·         Strengthening BGMEA, BKMEA, government agencies and other stakeholders to advance industry-wide renewable-energy transition and address policy and implementation barriers;

·         Exploring shared energy infrastructure and coordinated supply arrangements in Chattogram's industrial zones;

·         Expanding renewable-energy solutions beyond rooftop solar, including grid decarbonisation and external renewable-electricity procurement;

·         Developing practical factory-level energy-transition roadmaps and strengthening energy efficiency.