A Dhaka workshop gathered youth, policymakers and experts to assess progress on clean air and renewable energy advocacy, review CARE achievements, and set coordinated priorities for Bangladesh’s transition toward renewables.
Policymakers, researchers, youth leaders, development partners, journalists and climate activists met in Dhaka on Tuesday to review youth-led progress on clean air and renewable energy and to set priorities for the year ahead, organizers said.
The Annual Strategic Workshop 2025 of the Youth for Clean Air and Renewable Energy advocacy campaign was held at Hotel Bengal Blueberry, bringing together a wide range of stakeholders as Bangladesh works toward a target of generating 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030.
Organized by The Earth Society, the workshop highlighted the work of the national youth platform Youth for CARE, which for the past three years has engaged youth organizations across Bangladesh to advocate for clean air, renewable energy and the adoption of a Clean Air Act.
Participants reviewed achievements under the CARE Project, including youth-led actions, public awareness campaigns, community engagement and policy dialogues, while identifying key gaps and strategic actions for the coming year.
The Youth for CARE platform works with civil society organizations, academic institutions and research bodies to strengthen youth capacity on air pollution, renewable energy and evidence-based policy advocacy. Its community partners include Youth Ending Hunger Bangladesh, Bangladesh Debate Federation, We Can Cox’s Bazar, YouthNet, Green Savers, Lal Sabuj Society, Mission Green Bangladesh, Shouharda Youth Foundation, Eco-Network Global and Bangladesh Medical Students’ Society.
Md. Sohel Rana, Deputy Secretary of the Government of Bangladesh and Deputy Project Director of MRT Line-5 South, as well as General Manager for Planning at DMTCL, said reverse brain drain and stronger collaboration among youth, academia and industry were essential to accelerate progress on clean air and renewable energy.
Tanjid Jisan, a Fellow of Youth for CARE, stressed the need for policymakers, NGOs and CSOs and youth to work under a single coordinated platform to drive change.
Journalist Shamsuddin Illius of The Business Standard highlighted the role of independent journalism in ensuring accountability and advancing public discourse on clean air and renewable energy.
