The high-level policy dialogue focused specifically on the establishment of corporate power purchasing agreements.
The third policy dialogue within the Sustainable Fashion Platform by Sweden was held on Wednesday.
The event focused on scaling up the Sweden-Bangladesh partnership on renewable energy linked to the RMG-sector.
Swedish Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexandra Berg von Linde hosted the dialogue and State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid MP attended as chief guest.
During the event, the Swedish Minister of Foreign Trade and International Development Cooperation Johan Forssell underlined that “the RMG sector in Bangladesh is of high strategic and economic importance for both of our countries.”
Sweden was ready to support and partner up with Bangladesh in the green transition of the RMG-sector, he also said.
He also spoke of the long and friendly relationship between Sweden and Bangladesh and how the area of sustainability would be a central element in the relations going forward.
Forssell recently visited Bangladesh together with Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, and the green and digital transition was one of the overarching themes of the visit.
The Minister also visited a factory to observe the progress on transitioning to green and resource efficient production technologies within the RMG-sector.
Alexandra Berg von Linde, ambassador of Sweden to Bangladesh said: “We see a great potential for Sweden and Bangladesh to cooperate within the area of renewable energy and in identifying opportunities, green solutions, and sustainable financing mechanisms to increase availability of renewable energy for the RMG industry.”
Nasrul Hamid MP, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, emphasized ensuring sustainability and decarbonization in the apparel industry as they have become an existential issue for Bangladesh.
Charles Whiteley, ambassador of the European Union to Bangladesh, highlighted: “Our EU policies, both internal and external, are guided by the European Green Deal and the EU Climate Law. In particular the recent EU Due Diligence Directive is of high importance to the Bangladeshi RMG-sector and in the context of Bangladesh’s impending 2026 LDC graduation.”
“The Directive stipulates that companies exporting to the EU will need to carefully consider and address human rights and environmental standards on their operations and value chains,” he added.
The high-level policy dialogue focused specifically on the establishment of corporate power purchasing agreements (CPPAs).
The Swedish RMG-brands associated with the Sustainable Fashion Platform, H&M Group, Ikea, and Lindex, made a joint presentation about the topic.
The brand’s presentation illustrated the importance of CPPAs for the green transition and continued competitiveness of the RMG sector in Bangladesh.
Md Mahbubur Rahman, chairman of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and Abdullah Hil Rakib, vice president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) attended as special guests.
The Sustainable Fashion Platform is a collaboration between the Embassy of Sweden in Bangladesh, Business Sweden, the Swedish RMG-brands H&M Group, IKEA, and Lindex, the Nordic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI), the Sweden-Bangladesh Business Council (SBBC), and the Swedish Energy Agency (SEA).
The purpose is to coordinate Swedish efforts on sustainability within the RMG-sector in Bangladesh under one umbrella.
