At a BRAC University workshop, State Minister Faridul Islam called for climate action beyond commitments, highlighting women-led entrepreneurship, inclusive finance and renewable energy as key drivers of resilient, sustainable growth.
Bangladesh State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shaikh Faridul Islam said, “We must move beyond commitments to implementation, ensuring inclusion in policies and expanding climate-resilient initiatives. We must demonstrate our personal and collective responsibility towards protecting the environment.”
He was speaking at the National Dissemination Workshop on “Advancing Women’s Climate-Resilient Entrepreneurship: Evidence, Inclusive Finance, and Climate Justice for Inclusive Green Growth,” held at BRAC University on June 18. He called for accelerated action on climate policy and stronger inclusive implementation.
The workshop was organized by the Center for Entrepreneurship Development (CED) at BRAC University under the EmPower: Women for Climate-Resilient Societies (Phase II) initiative, implemented by UN Women and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with support from the governments of Germany, New Zealand, Sweden and Switzerland.
The event brought together policymakers, development partners, researchers and women entrepreneurs to highlight how renewable energy access and inclusive finance are reshaping livelihoods in Bangladesh’s climate-vulnerable regions.
Speakers pointed to coastal Cox’s Bazar and flood- and riverine-prone northern districts such as Kurigram as key examples of areas where climate impacts are intensifying, yet where women-led enterprises are emerging as drivers of local adaptation and economic resilience.
Participants shared lived experiences from the ground. One woman entrepreneur said frequent electricity outages had once disrupted her business, but the adoption of solar energy has now stabilized operations, reduced costs and strengthened her competitiveness in the local market.
Experts emphasized that improved access to finance, particularly through simplified loan systems for solar solutions and clean energy enterprises, has been critical in enabling women entrepreneurs to expand and innovate in rural and climate-vulnerable communities.
The discussions also highlighted community-level environmental action, with women calling for expanded tree-planting initiatives and stronger local stewardship to protect fragile ecosystems.
Organizers said women entrepreneurs are no longer only adapting to climate shocks but are actively shaping Bangladesh’s clean energy transition through cooperative models, technical skills and grassroots leadership.
Speakers concluded that scaling up inclusive finance, expanding renewable energy access and strengthening policy support will be essential to ensuring women remain at the center of Bangladesh’s just and sustainable green transition.
