Study calls for Bangladesh polluter pays policy

DHAKA – Taxing polluters in Bangladesh’s textile industry could help cut climate risk while future-proofing the local ready-made garment (RMG) sector claims a new study. Researchers modelled the impacts of different policy scenarios in Bangladesh, including putting a price on carbon emissions and abolishing fossil fuel subsidies, using generated revenues to invest in clean technologies, infrastructure and social spending. They found that for textiles, which represent more than 80 per cent of exports from Bangladesh, such a policy would lead to a slight fall in production by 2025. However, overall the industry would be stronger and more competitive in terms of carbon intensity and energy import dependency.