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Capacitating Garment Workers

Full Project Name: Capacitating the Garment Industry Workers for a Greener Transition in Bangladesh

Donor: Laudes Foundation

Background

Bangladesh has been on the front line of climate change for decades, repeatedly confronting heatwaves, tropical cyclones, floods and droughts. Climate impacts are already damaging ecosystems, livelihoods, infrastructure and food security. The rising trend of extreme heat exposes workers (engaged in manufacturing, construction and agricultural sector) to heat stress, costing lives and reducing productivity. For instance, the ready-made garment (RMG) sector employs nearly 4 million workers and is contributing to almost 85% of the country’s export earnings. To tackle heatwaves, upgrading factories’ cooling systems, ventilations, roofing materials, workplace crowding and machinery could help to safeguard the productivity of the workers (Grantham Research Institute, 2023). By 2030, production of the RMG sector can increase by 2.66% annually if at least half of Bangladesh’s clothing producers engage in cooling techniques and temperature reduction. This might save a loss of 28.44% of export profits (USD 7.58 billion) and 73,372 jobs from extreme heat stress by 2030 (Judd et al., 2023).

To bridge the evident knowledge gap of the ready-made garment sector’s relevant actors, ICCCAD will be implementing a 3-years project on “Capacitating the garment industry workers for a greener climate transition in Bangladesh” funded by Laudes Foundation. The project aims to apply a holistic, localized and multistakeholder approach to capacitate garment workers on the nexus of climate change, labour rights, and just transition. The project aims to deliver a co-developed participatory training module on climate change to 300-400 garment workers; conduct pre and post evaluation of the trainings; and eventually facilitate social dialogues with government bodies, garment workers, garment owners, trade unions and civil society organizations for ameliorating workers’ rights and their working conditions in the realm of climate change, particularly in response to the rising trends of heatwaves in Bangladesh.

By increasing the knowledge of all involved in the greener transition of this RMG sector— this initiative will help to capacitate the garment workers and management with contextualized climate change adaptation knowledge; ameliorate the workers voices and agencies in decision-making platforms; and facilitate social dialogues through a tripartite approach.

Project Overview

The International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), with support from the Laudes Foundation, will be implementing a 3-years project titled as “Capacitating the Garment Industry Workers for a Greener Climate Transition in Bangladesh.” By increasing the knowledge of all involved in the greener transition of this RMG sector— this initiative will help to capacitate the garment workers and management with contextualized climate change adaptation knowledge; ameliorate the workers voices and agencies in decision-making platforms; and facilitate social dialogues through a tripartite approach. The project will also generate knowledge products to better understand the opportunities and challenges of transitioning to a greener relevant to the RMG sector and how the private sector can play a crucial role in adapting towards the impacts of climate change.

Project Activities

  • Capacitate garment workers on climate change: by prioritizing efforts to address impacts of heat stress, which poses a significant threat to workers’ well-being in their homes and productivity at their workplaces, by raising awareness and promoting workplace solutions such as improved cooling and ventilation systems.
  • Expand knowledge on ways to improve sustainability in the textile supply chain: by increasing workers’ understanding of sustainable practices throughout the textile supply chain, highlighting the role they play in promoting environmental sustainability and resilience against climate change.
  • Facilitate social dialogue: by facilitating platforms for social dialogue, fostering open communication and collaboration among workers, factory management, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to ensure inclusive decision-making in the transition process.
  • Identify and generate knowledge products on the opportunities and challenges of just transition: by conducting evidence-based research and discussions to explore the opportunities and challenges of implementing a just transition in the RMG sector, with a focus on safeguarding livelihoods while promoting sustainable business practices.

Theory of Change

Specific changes expected (and by when) within each outcome Initiative’s contribution to the expected change 2024 to 2027
  • Climate experts increasingly include workers’ demands in relevant climate policies by March 2027.
  • Policymakers influencing employers of the garment factories to consider the implication of climatic impacts on the workers’ health and livelihood by March 2027
  • The government bodies encouraging employers to establish mechanisms and facilitate the voices of the workers regarding climatic impacts and way forward by March 2027
  • By 2027, policymakers actively prioritise workers’ viewpoints in policy reformation and establishment related to the nexus of climate change and labour rights and transmit the messages to the employers and hold them accountable through strict enforcement.
  • Train the workers regarding climate change, its impacts and how it can affect them and how the mitigation of these problems are integrated with their rights.
  • Arrange regular meetings in-person/virtual capacity-building sessions with policymakers on the implications of climatic impacts on the workers health.

 

 

 

 
  • Improvements in working conditions (temperature inside factories, adequate breaks due to increased heat etc.) in factories as a result of workers engagement and advocacy with employers and industry associations and government bodies by March 2027.
  • Awareness created in workers regarding their rights, well-being and adaptation techniques in the face of climate change.
  • Create and share reports, video messages and other information regarding the findings of the training in platforms such as national and international conferences.
  • Advocate the necessary changes to relevant stakeholders in the form of discussions and seminars
  • Strong mix of staff with knowledge, skills and capacity on climate-labour nexus by March 2027
  • The project staff will be able to capacitate other non-project related staff on climate change and labour issue; support co- creation of knowledge; enhance the quality of the project and sustain long-term relationship with the garment workers, employers, trade unions and policy makers.
  • Safeguarding policy development
  • Communication strategy development

 

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