Green entrepreneurship will complement the government’s existing policy initiatives to mitigate climate change. The current initiatives are broad, including green financing schemes, national waste management and recycling programmes and the promotion of green skills and green energy. The three million households using solar energy in Bangladesh are just one example of how serious the government is about greening the country.

The ILO will focus on greening supply chains, as well as the creation and employment of green entrepreneurs in the tourism and agro food sectors. Consultations have begun with organisations in both sectors and on August 23, 2015, a technical workshop will be held to explore both topics further. The objectives will be to identify partners for introducing environment friendly solid waste management and organic fertilizer, assess the prospects for greening other business processes and creating green jobs. Upon successful completion of the workshop, the ILO will have identified an agreed plan of specific interventions for promoting green jobs, encouraging self-employment and supporting skills development in both sectors.

Participants will include ILO’s partners on ongoing and past green jobs projects, the Industry Skills Councils of the two sectors, organizations and individual employers involved in green growth and green jobs initiatives; government experts and officials and employers’ and workers’ organizations.

The ILO is currently working with the Government of Bangladesh to reform the skills development system through two major initiatives; a CAD19.5 million grant from Canada for the Bangladesh Skills for Employment and Productivity (B-SEP) Project, and a Euro 14 million grant from the European Union for the TVET Reform in Bangladesh Project.

See the National Skills Development Policy (English/Bangla) here