GSR Conference 2013 Detailed Report

CONFERENCE FOLLOW-UP

28 Feb rua ry 2013 | Dhaka | Bang l adesh

Report on the2nd GlobalSocialResponsibilityConference

An highlight on findings,lessons learnt andrecommendations

Author: Nika Salvetti

CONFERENCE28 February 2013 | Dhaka | Bangladesh

CONTENTAbout BGCCI: page 4

About the Author: page 5

Preamble (by Daniel Seidl): page 6

1. Introduction: page 7

2. Rationale of the 2nd GSR Conference: page 8

3. Programme of the Conference: page 9

4. In preparation of the Conference: page 13

5. Briefs on the Conference: page 14

6. Lessons Learnt from the Conference: page 17

7. Profile of speakers: page 35

8. Profile of sponsors: page 47

9. List of participants: page 55

CONFERENCE28 February 2013 | Dhaka | Bangladesh 4 5

About BGCCI:

Bangladesh German Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BGCCI) with more than 400 members is the biggest bilateral chamber in Bangladesh. Our goal is to promote trade between Bangladesh, Germany and Europe. BGCCI provides a platform for networking and business services. We highlight trends, opportunities and challenges in key market sectors and share membership news. We facilitate our members in finding business opportunities through extensive network. We promote trade and knowledge sharing through business events with members and influential expert speakers. BGCCI provides a platform for all members to grow their bilateral business activities. BGCCI organizes key bilateral events, including the biennial German Trade Show and the annual German National Day, in cooperation with the German Embassy.

The organizers of the 2nd GSR:The organizers and designers of the Conference:

aniel Seidl, Executive Director of BGCCIMr. Seidl is since 2009 the Executive Director of the Bangladesh German Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BGCCI). Before coming to Bangladesh he worked over 15 years as business consultant and Director in different companies in the field of strategy and marketing. His MBA he achieved at the private University Witten/Herdecke, Germany and received a stipend from Harvard, USA.

Adnan Nafis, Head of Trade promotions at BGCCIHe has been serving as Head of Trade of Trade Promotion & Social Responsibility of Bangladesh German Chamber of Commerce & Industry since 2012. He has been involved in Trade promotion, trade diversification & branding in different organizations both in Bangladesh and Thailand. He has been involved in different research projects for more than 4 years and has several publications about Bangladesh Ready Made Garments sector, trade promotion and diversification. He served in the largest Trade Association in Bangladesh –BGMEA as Deputy Secretary for the research & trade cell. He also

worked for the largest NGO, BRAC in the field of Fair Trade development and branding. He has extensive experience in some of the top trade bodies, development organizations and private conglomerates in Bangladesh and abroad. He has done his MBA from Assumption University (ABAC), Thailand.

Nika Salvetti, Senior Social Responsibility Advisor at BGCCIResearcher and practitioner with wide-ranging experience in the field of management, social responsibility, sustainable economic development, and post-war economic reconstruction. She worked in Latin America, Africa, Middle East, The Balkans and Asia, with CARE Nederland , SNV and Movimondo/EC.She designed and coordinated a Master Programme on ‘Responsible Management and Sustainable Economic Development” at the UN mandated University for Peace (UPEACE) in Costa Rica, where she

is currently an Affiliated professor teaching the course on Social Responsibility and Economic Recovery. Before that she carried out research and applied studies with the University of Rome, the University of York (UK) and with the Institute of Nutrition for Central America and Panama (INCAP). In Bangladesh, she is visiting professor of the BRAC Institute of Governance Studies and the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC). She currently works as the senior social responsibility advisor at the Bangladesh-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BGCCI). She holds a Master degree with distinction on Post-War Recovery Studies from the University of York (UK) and she got a Bsc in Economics (cum laude) with specialization in Labour Economics at the University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’.

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Preamble:I am very glad to share the report of the 2nd Global Conference on Social Responsibility ‘through a green lens’ which was organized by the Bangladesh-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BGCCI) on February 28, 2013 in close collaboration with great partners and supporters such as the Dutch Embassy, the German Cooperation and GIZ, UNDP, as well as our main sponsors La Farge Cement, DBL, ISOLUX, BASF and Intertek,.

Following the great success of the first Global Social Responsibility seminar held in 2010, BGCCI and its partners decided to widen up the concept of Social Responsibility, putting more attention on the need to promote the concept of sustainable growth, while sharing practical business examples, which have endorsed environmental friendly innovation as the strategy for raising competitiveness and profits.

The 2nd Global Social Responsibility Conference did not only focus on German business but expanded towards the European perspective, highlighting the relevance of the European market for Bangladesh.

In fact, according to the latest trade figures, Europe represents the largest export destination for Bangladesh, especially for the RMG sector. There is a growing demand for other products and services such as leather, ships, pharmaceutics, technical support in the area of water management, waste, alternative sources of energy, R&D. Germany is the 2nd largest destination for RMG produced in Bangladesh, the bilateral trade relationship between Germany and Bangladesh is also a great stimulus to spread trade benefits all over Europe.

In addition, it is worthy to mention that European companies are in the front run with respect to quality standards’ requirements and compliances, making sure that their Bangladeshi partners become more competitive in an international arena.

With this in mind, we also welcomed the interactions with all actors of our society, such as the Government, civil society organizations, academia, media and international organizations, to bring the added value of looking and testing proved experiences in building a green economy for all.

I sincerely hope that all participants enjoyed the conference and the enriching and fruitful debates, and will join our effort to stimulate business and trade relationship between Europe and Bangladesh in the name of a more socially responsible and green growth path.

Daniel SeidlExecutive Director, BGCCI


1. Introduction:In 2010, the Bangladesh-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BGCCI) embarked in a new initiative, which aimed at promoting awareness and knowledge on topics related to social responsibility.

The first Global Social Responsibility was in fact focusing on the need to promote responsible investment and to find practical solutions to mainstream CSR in the corporate strategy but also to capitalize on new business models such as the social business promoted by Prof. Yunus.

The programme of the 1st GSR was carried out in 2 days: the first day participants could visit three projects implementing and adopting CSR principles and criteria and the second day an open debate was promoted in the area of Social Business and CSR.

The participation was significant both from abroad and from Bangladesh with approximate 150 private sector representatives from Germany and more than 100 journalists, private sector representatives and experts from Bangladesh.

The seminar was able to raise awareness about the benefits of adopting more corporate social and ethical behaviours but also showing Germany the progress Bangladesh undertook in different business sectors in relation to its social and ethical modus operandi.

After the seminar for the last 16 months, BGICC focused its attention on exploiting the momentum for promoting CSR and other initiatives aiming at challenging the negative perceptions of Bangladesh in Germany and EU and promoting bi-lateral trade and investment between Bangladesh and Germany in key sectors, especially the Garments one.

Along this process of helping ‘Branding Bangladesh’ abroad, McKinsey was commissioned to carry out the first independent research on the RMG sector and look at the main opportunities and challenges for its sustainable growth.

The key findings of such report were the following:

1. Bangladesh RMG exports will progressively grow in the next decade reaching up to $42Bn

2. Growth perspectives are mainly justified by the increasing competitive advantages and the attraction of manufacturers, moving away from China

3. Bangladesh RMG industry is moving towards high-end RMG and value added services

4. Bangladesh still needs to overcome major challenges, especially in Infrastructure, compliance and supplier and workforce capabilities to reach its growth potential

Taking into account these report’s finding, the 2nd Global Social Responsibility Conference was designed to capitalize on the current momentum and wider awareness and interest on CSR to broad up the discussion on all the dimensions of CSR: social, environmental and economic. But also to promote the transition from adopting the ‘business case’ approach of CSR still driven by philanthropy, to a more social value- led or syncretic stewardship model of CSR, based on corporate citizenship and multi stakeholders interaction which aims at contributing to a common goal, namely sustainable development.

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2. Rationale of the 2nd Global Conference on Social Responsibility:Following the great success achieved by the first Global Social Responsibility conference, BGCCI and its partners decided to put more emphasis on promoting the wider approach of CSR, which entails promoting the triple bottom line strategy, thus complementing social economic elements with environmental considerations.

In these terms, economic growth might be sustainable and contribute to sustainable economic development as well as addressing the main challenges the society is facing, for the benefit of all.

Within these premises, the second Global Social Responsibility conference aims at stressing the need for balancing economic growth with sustainable growth to reduce ecological footprint, while introducing the concept of the Green Economy and its main components.

Such approach is backed up by the fact that Bangladesh has witnessed a remarkable economic growth in the last decades, becoming the second largest exporter of readymade garments, amounting almost 78% of total export and the most important labor supplier, employing hundreds of thousands of people of the large youth Bangladeshi population. However, such growth has been accompanied by a gradual degradation of ecosystems and livelihoods of a growing population and by questionable business behavior and practices.

Bangladesh is now facing enormous challenges in relation to water contamination, energy shortage, waste, and socio-environmental compliance, which, if not timely and properly addressed, will certainly undermine its remarkable growth path.

That is why the focus of the second Global Social Responsibility conference is on environmental sustainability.

‘Social Responsibility through a Green Lens’ is a dynamic multi-actor interaction which aims at deepening the critical review of CSR, while giving attention to the impacts of business activities on the environment.

The focal point of the seminar will be on the Green Economy as a pathway towards realizing sustainable development and overcoming the challenges faced by Bangladesh in addressing environmental problems such as water depletion and contamination, energy shortage, waste mismanagement and socio-environmental (un)-compliance.

The growing international attention on moving towards a Green economy, as a more inclusive and promising path to sustainable growth, has gained its momentum during the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development.

It is widely recognized that such a transition can provide innovative tools to address some of the most pressuring systemic problems our world is facing today, such as widespread poverty and inequality compounded by ecosystem degradation, climate change, and economic disruption. Moreover, it can generate inclusive and sustainable growth by increasing the economic and social returns from investing in environmental improvement or low-carbon, climate-resilient development.

As expressed by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon:

“We all aspire to reach better living conditions. Yet, this will not be possible by following the current growth model . . . We need a practical twenty-first century development model that connects the dots between the key issues of our time: poverty reduction; job generation; inequality; climate change; environmental stress; water, energy and food security.”

But, what is the Green Economy exactly and why is it so relevant for an emerging market such as Bangladesh?


A green economy is generally understood as an economic system that is compatible with the natural environment and thus, is environmentally friendly. Today, the concept of a green economy has evolved to consider also social issues: a new economy which is based on low carbon emissions, resource efficiency and social inclusiveness. By using clean technology and clean energy, the green economy is expected to provide safer and healthier environments, create alternative ‘green’ jobs and preserve the development of societies.

“Low-carbon growth” and “green growth” are different ways to express the paradigm shift that no longer positions “green” against “development”, but seeks ways to enforce sustainability.

According to the current understanding of the green economy concept, there are five main elements which support the transition to a more sustainable pattern of production and consumption:• Generation and use of renewable energy• Energy efficiency• Waste minimization and management• Preservation and sustainable use of existing natural

resources• Green job creation

Within this framework, innovation becomes the key driver to sustainable development and growth.

The business sector has a crucial role to play in the transition towards a green economy. Its ability to innovate, conceptualize, and develop strategic solutions in the form of new products and services will help to lead such change and will increase their returns on investments.

Business strategies that reflect the attributes of a resource efficient and green economy can positively impact the financial performance of companies of all sizes.

In fact, building on the business case for the Green Economy, innovation of more sustainable products has shown to drive customer attraction and increases sales growth and market share. The provision of sustainable products and services bolsters brand value and reputation, which in turn increases sales duration. Improving productivity strengthens profit margins. Business will be rewarded for sustainable actions through favorable tax regimes, which can reduce cost of capital.

However, to build a ‘green economy for all’, the interaction and collaboration with other societal actors such as Government, civil society, academia, media and international organizations, is necessary to make sure that all efforts are conveyed to promote sustainable development in a more equitable and responsible way.

Furthermore, the 2nd Global Social Responsibility Conference

will not only present German businesses but also European companies which have been distinguished by introducing innovative environmental solutions and socially responsible best practices into Bangladesh.

European environmental innovations have been guided by Europe’s acclamation of the benefits to move towards the Green Economy as a way to stimulate technological development and to generate jobs and wealth in respect of the environment.

The European Parliament is also considering applying taxes on environmentally harmful practices and cutting VAT on some materials produced from recycled waste, to help promoting innovation. In addition, it is determined to promote a carbon low economy thus promoting investments and technological innovation.

In this sense, European businesses will be leading the change in favor of a green economy.

Drawing recommendations from this introduction, the seminar will put emphasis on two main concepts: Green economy as a transition pathway to achieve sustainable growth (Session I) and innovation as its decisive tool (Session II).

3. Programme of the Conference:Pre-Program:

27th February 2013

19:30 -21:00 Welcome Cocktail to the key note speakers, panelists, and moderators at German Ambassador’s Residence.

Program28th February 2013Conference on “SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY THROUGH A GREEN LENS”:

9:00-10:00 Registration: Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel

10:00 – 10:10 H.E. William Hanna, Ambassador, Head of Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh

10:10 – 10:20 Mr. Sakhawat Abu Khair, President Bangladesh German Chamber of Commerce & Industry

10:20 - 10:30 H.E. Gerben de Jong, Ambassador, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Dhaka.

10:30-10:40 Dr. Hasan Mahmud, Honorable Minister of Environment and Forest of Bangladesh

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Session I:

Introducing the Green Economy: Why does it make business sense?

The economic growth of recent decades has been achieved through a progressive depletion of natural resources and widespread degradation of ecosystems. A transition towards sustainable growth thus requires more focus on resource efficiency and green economy, and represents a viable opportunity for our economies to reduce the negative socio-economic and environmental impacts induced by traditional business models focused on quick return on investment at the cost of a higher ecological footprint.

Key Notes speakers:10:45 – 11:15 Mrs. Uta Böllhoff, Director General for Europe,

Middle East and Asia-German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development

Prof. Jan Pronk, Dutch politician and diplomat. Former minister of environment and development cooperation of the Netherlands.

11:15 – 11:30 Coffee/Tea Break

11:30 – 12:30 Green Economy Panel: Green economy in Bangladesh: the path towards sustainable growth- A review of challenges and opportunities

In the last decade, Bangladesh has witnessed an unprecedented economic growth (approximately 6% of GDP), thanks to an exponential increase of European investments attracted mainly by low labor costs. Such growth, however, has been accompanied by a gradual degradation of ecosystems and livelihoods of a growing population and by questionable business behavior and practices. Is this the growth path Bangladesh desire to follow?

Introductory notes: Robert Juhkam, Deputy Country Director, UNDP Bangladesh

Moderator: Ms. Amy Yee, Freelance journalist

Panelists: Stefanos Fotiou (Regional Coordinator for Resource Efficiency, UNEP); David Hasanat (MD-Viyellatex Group); Folkert de Jager (Regional Manager-Vitens); Khondkar Morshed Millat (Deputy General Manager Banking Regulation and Policy Department, Bangladesh Bank)

12:30 – 13:00 Q&A

13:00-14:00 Lunch

Session II:

Social Innovation and Appropriate Technology to address environmental challenges in Bangladesh: the business case.

A Green Economy requires new business strategies and approaches in resource efficiency, investment in clean technologies, the development of alternative products, services and materials, and the ability to obtain value from unavoidable waste. Despite the considerable initial capital investments, companies are now convinced of the quick return on investments mainly supported by energy’s costs savings, labour productivity, resource efficiency, and positive social and environmental impacts, which are also boosting the positive image and reputation of pioneer sustainable businesses.14:00-14:30 Bastiaan Mohrmann, Head of Water South

Asia Sustainable Business Advisory IFC

14:30 – 15:15 Water Panel: Future availability of clean and reliable

water supply in Bangladesh is threatened by industrial pollution of rivers, over-extraction of limited water sources, arsenic pollution, and saline intrusion. As long as the economic growth in Bangladesh continues to lead to an ever-increasing ecological (water) footprint, the water crisis will become more acute. Radical improvements in water use and in waste water treatment and disposal are necessary to avoid such a crisis.

Introductory notes: Dr. Carel - Head of Economic Affairs and Development Cooperation, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Dhaka.

Moderator: Dr. Khairul Islam, Country representative WaterAid

Panelists: Eng. Taqsem A Khan (Managing Director, DWASA); Saroj Dash (Head of Context, Concern Worldwide); Lars Doemer (Environment Responsible, Global Production, H&M); M.A. Jabbar (MD- DBL Group); Mr. Ganesh Pangare (Head, Ecosystems and Livelihood Group and Head, Water Programme, IUCN)

15:15 – 16:00 Alternative Sources of Energy Panel: Recently, Bangladesh economy has

been facing an unprecedented energy crisis. Industrial operations have been disadvantaged by the increase of gas and oil prices and by the irregular supply. An approximate 53% of Bangladesh’s population has access to grid electricity, with the rest depending on the costly kerosene and solar power.

Gas and electricity supply are falling short of


the rapid growing demand. So far, besides the decision to import fossil fuels, remarkable investments have been channeled into solar power and the installation of solar panels especially in rural areas. However, the question remains: is it the most feasible and efficient strategy to increase energy’s supply?

Introductory notes: Dr. Ijaz Hossain, Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, BUET

Moderator: Akbar Hossain, Correspondent of BBC Bengali Service, Dhaka Bureau

Panelists: Erich Otto Gomm (Program Coordinator- Sustainable Energy: GIZ); Munawar Misbah Moin (Group Director, Rahimafrooz Bangladesh Limited); Mahmood Malik (CEO-Infrastructure Development Company Ltd.); Berto Giuseppe (CEO and Managing Director of EOS Textile Mills Ltd DEPZ Savar Dhaka Bangladesh); Antxón Galán, MD T-Solar/ISOLUX, India

16:00 – 16:30 Coffee Break sponsored by Tchibo Bangladesh

16:30 – 17:15 Waste & Recycling Panel: By decreasing waste and inefficiencies in all

forms, enterprises can reduce environmental impacts while making considerable savings. By using renewable or recycled resources, by decreasing the use of resources’ quantity, and improved product or service design, will further reduce the negative impacts on the environment but allowing the production line to be more efficient and valuable. Let’s learn from valuable practices.

Introductory notes: Ms. Anna Heringer, Director of BASEhabitat and visiting professor at the University of Arts Linz, Austria

Moderator: Dr. Atiq Rahman, Executive Director of the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, BCAS

Panelists: Abu Hasnat Md. Maqsood Sinha (ED & Co-founder-Waste Concern); Sk. BashirUddin (MD-Akij Group); Pavel Cech (Vice President-Industrial Ecology South-West and East Asia: Lafarge); Md. Saiful Islam (MD-Picard Bangladesh Ltd.)

17:15 - 18:00 Compliance Panel: The promotion and implementation of

social and environmental standards are empowering opportunities, which help companies in gaining business success and sustainability as well as to improve working

conditions and to ensure workers’ rights. In practical terms, this means integrating social, environmental and governance factors into the business strategy in order to create a win-win situation for both: companies and workers. What are the bench marks and best practices which could act as guiding principles for industries?”

Introductory notes: Magnus Schmid, Program Coordinator-PSES (GIZ)

Moderator: Mr. Afsan Chowdhury, Executive Editor, bdnews24.com

Panelists: Shatadru Chattopadhayay (MD-Solidaridad); Shafiul Islam (President, BGMEA); Karl Borgschulze (MD-CSI); Mr. Avedis Seferian, (President, WRAP); Md. Shahjahan ( Director General-Department of Environment);

18:00 – 18:15 Final remarks and Conclusions: H.E. Dr Albrecht Conze, German Ambassador-

Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bangladesh

20:00 – 22:00 Business dinner at the Radisson Water Garden Hotel, Dhaka.

4. In preparation of the Conference:On February 27, a press conference was organized at the GIZ Press conference room at the German House.

Below are the lists of media representatives who attended the press conference.

The participants were the President of BGCCI, Mr. Sakhawat Abu Khair and Executive director of BGCCI Daniel Seidl. As representatives of the main sponsor the Deputy Ambassador of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Dr. Carel Richter and the Program Coordinator-PSES (GIZ) Magnus Schmid shared their points of view and explained why the GSR conference is an effective and relevant tool to promote social responsibility in Bangladesh.

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5. Briefs on the Conference:Bangladesh German Chamber of Commerce & Industry organized the 2nd Global Social Responsibility Conference on 28th February 2013, amid huge festivity and participation. The conference took place at the Radisson Water Garden Hotel. More than 250 participants from different organizations, ranging from private sector to public and civil society sectors were there.

The conference was structured in 3 main sessions: (1) the Opening Ceremony, (2) the I session, (3) the II Session followed by in-depth discussions under the “Water panel”, “Energy efficiency panel”, “Waste Management panel”, and “Compliance panel”.

The Opening Ceremony was enriched by the contributions of high dignitaries sharing their view and experiences in relation to the Green economy and sustainability. In order, the speakers were: H.E. William Hanna, EU Ambassador, Mr Sakhawat Abu Khair President of BGCCI, H.E. Gerben de Jong, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Dr. Hasan Mahmud, Minister of Environment and Forestry of Bangladesh.

After the Opening Ceremony, the conference started with the Session I, that introduced the Green Economy looking at the ‘Green Economy as a transitional pathway to achieve sustainable growth’. The session was addressed by two keynote speakers: Mrs. Uta Bollhoff and Prof Jan Pronk, followed by the Green economy Panel.

The Green Economy panel explored the ways the different actors contribute to the green economy. It reflected on best practices and examples of green products and services but also on the resistance to change of business companies as well as

the overall society in adopting green practices and mentality in Bangladesh. In addition, it encouraged the sharing of innovative ideas and suggestions from policy makers, financial institutions and the private sectors, which could encourage the application of green practices in Bangladesh. It was also a call for the government of Bangladesh to promote more actively the application of the green economy agenda.

The Session II looked at how ‘Innovation is the decisive tool of the Green Economy and Sustainability’. The session was covered by an eloquent speech of Mr Bas Mohrmann from IFC.

After explaining how innovation and green technology are essential elements to boost sustainability, the discussion was narrowed to specific thematic topics in four different panels:

The Water panel specifically addressed the water challenges in Bangladesh. It also reviewed the role each actor in society plays to comply with environmental parameters and how they can promote

best practices in businesses. Finally it addresses the alarming gap between fresh water supply and demand and the need to find smarter mechanisms to improve the use of water at domestic and industrial level.

The Energy efficiency panel put emphasis on the need to move from conventional energy sources to more feasible and environmentally sustainable ones, exploring the best technology which can be

used to tackle the energy crisis both at household and industrial level. The role of the business sector in contributing to solve the energy gap between increased demand and steady supply, was also reviewed.

The Waste Management panel aimed at high lightening the benefits of waste management from a business as well as public perspective. It reviewed different technical solutions, which

support the reduction, and best re-use of waste.

Finally, the Compliance panel put a light on the challenges and obstacles the business sector encounters while undertaking compliance processes. At the same time highlighted the business benefits and advantages to become

more compliant. Finally it reviewed the different strategies business companies follow and the pros and cons of enforcing voluntary process versus mandatory compliance requirements, especially in the context of Bangladesh.

The H.E. Dr Albrecht Conze, German Ambassador, drew the concluding remarks.

The conference has been sponsored by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, LaFarge Suma Cement Ltd, ISOLUX Corsan, DBL Group, BASF and Intertek. Its cooperation partners are UNDP, GIZ, and the German Cooperation.

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The EU Ambassador, Mr William Hanna emphasized how the European Commission has played a pioneering role in the development of public policy to promote CSR ever since its 2001 Green Paper and the establishment of the European Multi-stakeholder Forum on CSR. The EC launched its latest Communication on CSR in 2011, in the midst of the financial crisis, where CSR emerges as core business, an integral part of a business model rather than philanthropic add on. In this terms, to fully meet their social responsibility, enterprises ‘should have in place a process to integrate social, environment, ethical and human rights concerns into their business operations and core strategy in close collaboration with their shareholders’. The aim is both to enhance positive impacts, for example through the innovation of new products and services that are beneficial to society and enterprises themselves and to minimize and prevent negative impacts. CSR-related concerns are embedded in the projects and programmes implemented by the Delegation of the EU in Bangladesh. These include: Compliance with labor laws, ethical, health, safety and environmental standards; Responsible business (sustainable operation benefitting business, society and environment = the Planet, People, Profit triangle); and Inclusive business (integration of community in the value chain). In his conclusion remarks he stated ‘we need to work together to promote CSR’.

The President of BGCCI, Mr Sakhawat Abu Khair launched the conference in the name of the need to promote “green economy in Bangladesh as a way to sustain the remarkable economic growth” reached so far. According to the latest trade figures, Europe represents the second largest export destination for Bangladesh, especially for the RMG sector. There is a growing demand for other products and services such as leather, ships, pharmaceutics, technical support in the area of water management, waste, alternative sources of energy, R&D.

In addition he added ‘it is worthy to mention that European companies are in the front run with respect to quality standards’ requirements and compliances, making sure that their Bangladeshi partners become more competitive in an international arena’. With this in mind the interactions with all actors of our society, such as the Government, civil society organizations, academia, media, and international organizations, is welcome to add value in building a green economy for all.

To fully meet their social responsibility, enterprises ‘should have in place a process to integrate social, environment, ethical and human rights concerns into their business operations and core strategy in close collaboration with their shareholders’. (From EC Communication on CSR, 2011).

6. Lessons Learnt from the Conference:The Opening Ceremony was enriched by the contributions of different speakers.

William Hanna, EU Ambassador in Bangladesh

Sakhawt Abu Khair, President of BGCCI


H.E. De Jong, Ambassador of the Royal Embassy of the Netherlands, stressed on the need to boost Responsible Investment in a wider sense. He states, ‘creating working conditions is not enough. Awareness and practical examples on the improvement of working conditions as well as environmental practices is the key to promote sustainable growth’. He also added that ‘sustainable growth is the future business approach’ which is already been applied by numerous Dutch as well as Bangladeshi companies, getting inspiration from the ‘Dutch Sustainable Growth Coalition’. He also briefly introduced the approach of the Embassy in promoting economic cooperation and supporting poverty alleviation, while including CSR principles in each programme. One of the latest examples is the introduction of Clean Production mechanisms in the textile sector, with the cooperation of brand companies and civil society based on a co-sharing financial and technical support.

After the Opening Ceremony, the conference started with in- depth discussion on ‘Green economy as a transitional pathway to achieve sustainable growth’ (Session I) and ‘Innovation as its decisive tool’ (Session II).

Dr. Hasan Mahmud, honorable Minister of Environment and Forestry joined the discussion and he started his speech by giving a snapshot panorama on the current world situation: ‘resources are limited; the population is growing; population growth is putting enormous pressure on the ecosystem and scarce resources’. Bangladesh is the 7th most populated country in the world with fast urbanization and fast growing population. The economy is driven by the private sector and the government is becoming more and more a facilitator and mediator among different actors. As the need to move towards a green economy is evident, the question is: ’How to achieve that? ‘By using resources in sustainable ways and make resources available for the future generations’, the minister said. The minister raised a final question to the audience: ‘How can we protect businesses as well as conserving, protecting, and re-using our resources?’ The Government of Bangladesh already replied to this question by formulating the new policy document on ‘sustainable growth and development’. He finalized his speech by stating that we must ‘join hands to promote sustainable growth and to protect our nature.’

…‘sustainable growth is the future business approach’…

Gerben de Jong, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Dr Hasan Mahmud, Minister of Environment and Forestry, Government of Bangladesh.

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The first key note speaker was Mrs. Utta Bolhoff, DG BMZ, coming from Germany to be present at such relevant conference. Her main statement was highlighting the relevance of applying the Green Economy. She stated, ‘Green Economy goes hand in hand with efficiency and sustainability and it is not hampering the financial performance of the private sector. Close cooperation with the private sector is needed to create jobs.’ In RIO+12, it was emphasized that ‘businesses can be the driver of a more sustainable economic development model but only if the Government establishes a transparent and accountable regulatory framework’. Women empowerment is also the key to foster a ‘green economy for all’ and promote sustainable economic development.

Prof. Jan Pronk joined the presentation as the second main key note speaker. Being a former Minister of Development cooperation as well as environment, he had the chance to visit Bangladesh several times since its Independence.

He based his speech on his personal ‘lessons learnt’ and professional experiences. He started his speech stating that ‘Sustainability demands fundamental and radical change. It is the opposite of a boring status quo. Sustainability is a challenge, an adventure. It requires a forward looking approach and a fighting spirit’.

1. Do not fake ‘sustainability. ‘Sustaining sustainability, so to say, requires fundamental structural change in patterns of investment, production, trade and consumption’. To sustain sustainability, ‘sincere’, not ostrich policies need to be designed and applied. ‘Let us not fool ourselves by focusing on compensation for unsustainable practices, rather than turning back those very practices themselves’.

2. Do not be romantic about CSR. Sustainability cannot be left to the market. The private sector will always be driven by their own interests which do not necessarily match the interest of the overall population or the environment. Therefore, he stated ‘public political choices are unavoidable: create a level playing field for all companies on the market, enforce corporate behaviour in accordance with public and people’s interest’.

3. Build up countervailing public market power. The Government needs to build countervailing power to make sure that bad corporate behaviors are curbed. NGO’s don’t have the capacity of negotiation to convert traditional businesses in sustainable business. So, he pointed out ‘governments should not shy away from law making, imposing rules and regulations, forceful inspections, effective compliance mechanisms, enforcement, and vigorous sanctions. Striving for sustainability is not a game, but a fight’.

4. Public Social Responsibility (PSR) is a precondition for CSR. Achieving sustainability demands that public authorities represent the interests of the people and the planet, and act accordingly. Vigorous actions are needed to counter corruption and promote full transparency and accountability. Governments should avoid to serve the merely interests of elite groups operating in the name of profits and capital. They should put a halt to commercial lobbying and financial mismanagement but promoting full democratization of public decision making processes in respect to all constituencies. Such approach would ensure PSR: ‘PSR is a precondition for CSR to become a solid basis for trustworthy market operations’.

He shared ‘7 do’s and don’ts lessons learnt:

‘Green Economy goes hand in hand with efficiency and sustainability and it is not hampering the financial performance of the private sector. Close cooperation with the private sector is needed to create jobs.’

Utta Bolhoff,DG BMZ

The First session was addressed by two key note speakers and the Green economy Panel.


5. Be ambitious but cautious. ‘Achieving sustainability requires urgent and radical changes in economic behaviour.’ However, cautiousness needs to be applied as being ‘radical and urgent’ should not be the same as a trade off between one risk with another. Embarking in sustainable directions is a process and to make sure that such process is irreversible in favour of radical change it is better to go for ‘small and slow’ rather than for ‘big and fast’. Better be cautious.

6. Go in stages and stay within your own domain. Policy should be designed to gradually stage a process; it should help widening the scale of change gradually, with pilot projects and schemes and scaling them up at the level of a whole industrial sector or region. Even Sustainability and CSR should be carefully staged within the corporate strategies since the beginning of a business operation; introducing them later would just add unnecessarily costs and risks to the business. Such risks should not be then downloaded to others, especially citizens or consumers. ‘Governments can help businesses accepting reasonable risks by guaranteeing a level playing field with the help of rules and regulations, equally binding all corporations, both foreign and domestic. However, again, governments must be trustworthy themselves and demonstrate transparent political behaviour.’

7. People First. ‘Sustainability is often seen as an environmental problem only. It is not. There is an environment-poverty nexus. Environmental degradation and deterioration of livelihoods result in ongoing deprivation.’ Environmental degradation affects the poor first, increasing poverty and marginalization. The priority goals of sustainability should be ‘putting an end to poverty’ and ‘eradicating social inequality’. ‘Putting an end to poverty, besides being a first moral and political imperative, is a condition sine qua non for meeting environmental sustainability targets.’ He added on the approaches to be taken, ‘so, we need a two track approach. Both tracks should lead to greater people’s welfare: present people and people yet unborn. Our responsibility concerns also the protection of the developmental capabilities of future generations. People first.’

The first session was followed by the Green Economy panel.

The Deputy Director of UNDP, Mr Robert Juhkam stressed the need to achieve a Green Economy for all as it is a great opportunity for countries such as Bangladesh densely populated and with limited natural resources. In fact, he remarked:

‘As the most densely populated country, with limited natural resources, which are continuously therefore under environmental threat, a green trajectory is critical. AND, it is a fantastic opportunity.’

Despite several definitions and approaches of the Green Economy, he believes that the best ‘green’ approach is ‘to combine the economy with the green-environmental and social progress for mutual benefit.’ Economic growth should be balanced by the preservation of natural resources.

Robert Juhkam,Deputy Director of UNDP

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In the Green economy panel, Ms Amy Yee, freelance Journalist moderated the panel;

Ms Yee addressed the panel discussion with the following questions:1. What are some good, specific examples of your company or others participating in the green economy in Bangladesh

or globally? 2. What are some sound or innovative examples of successful goods and services of the green economy that you have

worked with or encountered in Bangladesh or globally?3. Are consumers in Bangladesh or globally swayed by green goods and services. Is this attitude different in the developing

world versus the developed world? Is it true or a myth that green goods and services cost too much? 4. Are there enough incentives to incorporate green practices in Bangladesh? Globally? What could be done to encourage

green practices more? Tax breaks? Carbon credits? Stronger evidence of cost savings? Do you have concrete suggestions on how policymakers could facilitate green business practices? Are there any examples of this being done already?

5. How would you rate the government’s role in the green economy, in Bangladesh and globally? In what ways do they support the green economy, obstruct it or let it stagnate? In what ways can and should they support a green economy? Are they doing enough, either in Bangladesh or globally?

6. What are some good resources for those who want to incorporate green practices? Organizations, associations, websites, reports, etc.?

The following speakers joined the discussion:Stefanos Fotiou (Senior regional coordinator of the United Nations Environmental Programme); David Hasanat (Managing Director Viyellatex Group); Folkert de Jager (Resident Managing Director of Vitens Bangladesh); Khondkar Morshed Millat (Deputy General Banking Regulation and Policy Development),Robert Juhkam, Deputy Director of UNDP

He also shared his views on the 5 key levers conducive to the Green Economy in Bangladesh:

1. Developing green economy and green investment strategies and plans at the national, industry and private-business levels. The Government is central as overall policy maker and catalyst to shape national social, economic and environmental directions.

2. Establishing the true valuation and accounting of ecosystems and natural resources. This would help recognize the services and products the environment is capable to provide to all of us.

3. Leveling the playing field through appropriate and relevant legislation and policy. The role of the government is essential to make sure that there is a level playing field for all which is shaped by fair incentives and appropriate legislation enforced on all players without favoritisms.

4. Implementing initiatives focusing more explicitly on social aspects. This includes targeting women, the youth and poverty reduction goals to ensure catalyst effects on sustainability.

5. Recognizing the role of the Private sector in boosting the green economy. Private sector should be guided to generate profits and jobs but also to achieve environmental and social gains.

In his conclusions, he reaffirmed the need of a stronger and more fruitful cooperation between the public and private sector to promote green economy. Guiding Bangladesh towards the green economy path will give the opportunity to rank Bangladesh as the leader of the next emerging economies.


In practical terms, the CEO of Viyellatex, Mr David Hasanat believes that:

‘to reduce energy costs and at the same pollution, we should make the best use of existing facilities; for instance, in order to reduce water use we use boilers as well as toilet flashing systems in a more efficient way. At the same time we give added value to waste, while producing composite fertilizers; such approach allows us to save costs and obtain tangible returns but at the same time achieve intangible returns thanks to the personal satisfaction of having contributed to a better environment’.

Morshed Millat, Deputy General Manager Banking Regulation and Policy Department, Bangladesh Bank, promoted the recent activities of the Bangladesh Bank which focus on rewarding with credit facilities, those companies which strive for environmental sustainability. The Bank obtained 2 billion US$ to provide loans at 5% to those companies who invest in green technology.

However, Stefanos Fotiou, Regional Coordinator for Resource Efficiency, UNEP, requested the private sector to take the lead in promoting the green economy through the increase of supply of green products with longer lifetime and to convince its consumers in choosing those products which are cleaner and safer.

(David Hasanat,Managing DirectorViyellatex Group)

(Stefanos Fotiou, UNEP)

(Morshed Millat,Bangladesh Bank)

The panel concluded by referring to the need of making the more efficient use of existing facilities and technologies in order to reduce the costs of production and the eco footprint of any industrial operation. However awareness is the key to influence the mentality of both business leaders and consumers towards a more green society. The private sector should increase the supply of green products with longer lifetime, and public awareness among the consumers should be raised. Finally also SMEs along the supply chain should be given special attention to promote awareness but also facilitate their access to green technology. The Bangladesh Bank assured that it is now in the position of rewarding those companies who strive for environmental sustainability by providing easy access to credit at 5%.

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The second session of the conference put emphasis on ‘Social innovation and appropriate technology to address environmental challenges in Bangladesh’.

Bas Mohrmann, head of Water South Asia Sustainable Business Advisory of IFC

Mr Bas Mohrmann, head of Water South Asia Sustainable Business Advisory of IFC, presented the session II.

He stated that ‘Private sector is the key to drive sustainable development. It is a must because of risk management, reputation and profits’ margins’. Reputation of an industry

normally depends on the quality of its brand. Bangladesh has already conceived its brand which is ‘made in Bangladesh’. Such brand reflects the emerging reputation of Bangladesh as the new export powerhouse. ‘Made in Bangladesh’ is gaining in strength in terms of business volume and global competitiveness. ‘Made in Bangladeh’ represents the second largest export of Ready Made Garments and it is becoming a common label in both European and US markets. The garment industry counts on more than 5,000 factories, employing 3.5 million people and benefiting indirectly 10% of the total population. Bangladesh is on its way to become a middle income country and has been ranked as one of the 11 potential new emerging economy by 2020.

Such economic development has been driven by visionary business leaders which believed in the brand of ‘made in Bangladesh’ and invested in it. However, the reputation of the brand is still undermined by social issues, environmental concerns, political instability which demotivate foreign investments to believe unconditionally in such brand.

While steady progresses have been achieved, tackling social constraints, little has been done to overcome environmental challenges. In fact, ‘made in Bangladesh’ has not a green connotation yet.

Widespread water pollution, fast unplanned urbanization, will exercise even more pressure on already scarce resources.

Where does the accountability lie? Does the government have the capacity to promote such concept and what can the private sector do?

The private sector needs to take matters around sustainability more seriously and responsibly. The sustainability leaders are too few. Those business leaders, who succeeded to make sustainability in Bangladesh, need to take the lead and show the way with practical examples along the supply chain. In his remarks, he called for action:

‘These leaders need to step forward. They need to lead not only their own businesses, but also the industry as a whole. Lead in good practice, lead in technology investments, lead in community engagement, lead in disclosure, lead in our goal of: Made Sustainably in Bangladesh.’

There is a need to build a business case for the Green Economy. Such business case can be supported by the following practices:1. Use energy as an entry point for sustainability. It is evident that saving energy costs not only save costs along the

production line but also reduces the impact on the environment.2. Environmental sustainability will have to be taken more seriously by the private sector as social pressure of civil society

groups and consumers is increasing. To secure business with international buyers, factories will need to increase their environmental performance.


3. Being environmentally compliant is a matter of reputation. To defend its global competitiveness, ‘made in Bangladesh’ will have to become ‘Made SUSTAINABLY in Bangladesh’ as this will preserve the quality and reputation of its brand.

4. Long term sustainable vision means a living environment for future generations. And also ensuring that the next generation will strive for a sustainable ‘made in Bangladesh’ and will be proud to live and invest in Bangladesh.

‘CSR is not Corporate Social Responsibility but is Collective Social Responsibility’. The best 25 performing companies, which are more socially responsible and sustainable, can, promote a paradigm shift while sharing their best practices.He briefly introduced different collaborative initiatives, which are promoting social responsibility and sustainability through social innovation. In specific the four-year programme PaCT, Partnership for Cleaner Textile, funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, will build on the synergy between three dimensions, international buyers, local industrial leaders and most appropriate technology to overcome environmental challenges and strengthen partnership between different sectors.After the introductory speech of session II, the Conference continues with in-depth analysis of different thematic panels: Water Panel Energy efficiency panel Waste management panel Compliance panel

Water Panel:

Background information:According to the Water Resource Group (2009), by 2030, under an average economic growth scenario and if no efficiency gains are assumed, global water requirements would grow from 4,500 billion m3 today (or 4.5 thousand cubic kilometers) to 6,900 billion m3. This represents 40 percent of water demand above current accessible, reliable supply (including return flows, and taking into account that a portion of supply should be reserved for environmental requirements). At aggregated regional levels, one-third of the population, concentrated in developing countries, will live in basins where this deficit is larger than 50 percent. The quantity represented as accessible, reliable, environmentally sustainable supply—a much smaller quantity than the absolute raw water available in nature—is the amount that truly matters in sizing the water challenge.The projected overall gap between annual freshwater demand and renewable supply by 2030, will reach alarming level if drastic solutions are not found (McKinsey report, 2009).In Bangladesh, the industrial sectors, which have witnessed most impressive economic performance, in terms of volume of production and export, are those, which have the highest environmental footprint.The textile industry, specifically the ready garment sector, along with the leather sector, are the one which are mostly contributing to rivers’ pollution and gradual depletion of groundwater, and consequent detrimental impacts on health, fishing and agriculture due to the reduced access to clean and fresh water (the Bangladesh Responsible Sourcing Initiatives. WB report, 2011)Besides that, the inadequate response to climate change is increasing the gap between water supply and demand due to rapid salinization of freshwater basins and rivers, an increase of temperature’s extremes, which again provoke an irregular and inefficient availability of water and energy.Finally, the high content of arsenic present in ground water reservoirs, due to natural and human interferences, is threatening the daily level of water consumption.

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Introduc notes’ speaker:The water panel was introduced by Dr. Carel Richter, Deputy Ambassador, Embassy of theKingdom of the Netherlands.

Dr Richter reiterated the need to foster Responsible Investments. He believes that a social problem, such as access to water and sanitation, should be tackled at the root of the problem. It is known that the textile and garments manufacturing are the most pollutant industries and if such pollution is not eradicated at industrial level, whatever water and sanitation programs downstream at community level cannot be effective.There is the need for integrated approach to water management. Showing results, best practices, and impacts can motivate businesses as well as other actors to behave in a more responsible way. The Embassy is implementing a new approach, which tries to merge the work of development cooperation with trade, moving from the conventional trade approach towards a responsible and integrated trade approach.The water panel was moderated by Dr. Md Khairul Islam, Country representative WaterAid.He addressed his panelists with the following questions:1. How can we address the water challenges in

Bangladesh? 2. What has been over the past few years the responses

of the business sector in water management? How can good examples be scaled up?

3. How does the business sector promote its best practices along the supply chain, what works and what does not work?

4. What else can be done to reduce the future alarming gap between fresh water supply and demand?

The water panel was attended by the following speakers:Eng. Taqsem A Khan, managing director DWASA; Mr. Saroj Dash, Head of Context in Concern International; Mr. Lars Doemer, Environmental responsible for global production H&M; Mr. Abdul Mohammed Jabbar, Managing director DBL Group; Mr. Ganesh Pangare, Head of the Ecosystems and Livelihood Group of the Water Programme at IUCN.

The main conclusions of this panel focused on the need to raise awareness among the business community on the notion that water is a vital resource, not only for drinking purposes but also for industrial ones, especially in textile. Also most of the businesses are not aware of the high return on investment of environmental sustainability initiatives. There is a need to scale up the good initiatives but also gain support from smarter regulations and incentives in adopting the right technologies at industrial level.

Alternative Sources of Energy Panel:Background information:Bangladesh economy has been facing acute energy crisis for a long time. Industrial operations have been disadvantaged by the increase of gas and oil prices and by the irregular supply.Gas and electricity supply are falling short of the rapid growing demand. An approximate 53% of Bangladesh’s population has access to grid electricity, with the rest depending on the costly kerosene and solar power. At industrial level, most enterprises depend on their own source of energy, produced by costly generators, adding on the costs of production. Temporary solutions have been sought, among which the import of LNG and carbon or the concessions of exploration and exploitation of traditional sources of energy to foreign corporations, which, however, do not guarantee a long lasting and feasible response to the crisis. However conventional energy sources are becoming more scarce and expensive, increasing the vulnerability of those countries and economies which will still entirely depend on them. The challenge is finding the most appropriate solution which will help mitigating the energy crisis in a sustainable way, gaining advantage from the country’s location and its natural resources endowment but also by investing in innovation and technology.Extensive research has been undertaken to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of alternative sources of energy such as to be utilized in Bangladesh. Among them: solar energy, wind energy, bio mass energy and hydro power energy. So far remarkable investments have been channeled into solar power and the installation of solar panels especially in rural areas. But the question remains: is it the most feasible and efficient strategy to increase energy’s supply?


Introductory notes’ speaker:The panel was introduced by Dr. Ijaz Hossain, head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at BUET.The Energy Efficiency panel was moderated by Mr. Akbar Hossain, correspondent of BBC Bengali services.He raised the following questions:1. How can we move from an economy which highly depends

on conventional and no renewable energy sources, to an economy which uses energy sources which are feasible and environmentally friendly?

2. What best technology can be applied to tackle the energy crisis? Is the installation of solar panels the only viable and sustainable way to increase energy supply? At what costs?

3. How can the business sector contribute to tackle such crisis?

The panelists were Mr. Erich Otto Gomm, Programme Co-ordinator of Sustainable Energy for Development, GIZ; Mr. Munawar Misbah Moin, Group director of Rahimafrooz Ltd; Mr. Mahmood Malik, Executive Director and CEO, Infrastructure Development Company Ltd.; Mr Giuseppe Berto, CEO and managing director of EOS Textile Mills Ltd; Mr. Antxon Galan, Managing director of T-Solar ISOLUX Corsan India.

The panelists claimed that before introducing new alternative energy sources, such as nuclear or tide wave’s energy, there should be much knowledge and practices on the ones, which have already been introduced in Bangladesh, especially solar energy and biomass. However, financial constraints are still the main deterrent to the application of the alternative sources of energy especially in rural areas where the cost of each solar panel is still too high to be distributed among the

majority of rural population. In any case, people have the right to access to energy and the Government should access to the most efficient and reliable sources of energy. Good regulations are also seen as the best tool to help sustain the energy project. Finally, there should be made a clear distinction between the access to energy at industrial level and the access to energy at household level.

The waste management panel:Background information:Current industrial production systems are characterized by wide-scale inefficiencies with regard to the use of materials, water and energy. UNIDO researches estimate that less than 10 per cent of the resources extracted or harvested end up in final products (UNIDO, Green Industry Initiative Report, 2011). Many enterprises, particularly in developing countries, use more materials, energy and water than production processes require because of obsolete and inefficient technologies and inability to adopt proper management systems. Globally, more than billion tons of waste (including industrial and municipal waste) is produced each year, approximately 10 million tons per day. However, less than a quarter of this waste is recovered or recycled (Chalmin, C. and Gaillochet, C. 2009).

Improved resource efficiency, i.e. using energy, materials and water more effectively, allows resources to be conserved. By reducing the demand for raw materials by using them more efficiently, impacts associated with extraction and harvesting are decreased (Peck, M. and Chipman, R. 2007). Calculations indicate that the cost of inefficiency from waste, i.e. non-product output, can be as high as 10-30 per cent of the total cost of production (GTZ–Profitable Environmental Management). By decreasing waste and inefficiencies in all forms, enterprises can reduce environmental impacts while making considerable savings. By using renewable or recycled resources, by decreasing the use of resources’ quantity, and improved product or service design, will further reduce the negative impacts on the environment but allowing the production line to be more efficient and valuable.

In Bangladesh, there are numerous creative and innovative initiatives, which have been undertaken by the business as well as civil society and public sector, in reducing, reusing and recycling waste in a profitable and sustainable way. However, there is the need to promote much more awareness on the socio-economic and environmental benefits, which an efficient production system can create. In addition, applying the most adequate strategies which support a sustainable reduction of waste.

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Introductory notes’ speaker:

Ms. Anna Heringer, Director of BASEHabitat and visiting professor at the University of Arts, Linz, Austria, mentioned the introductory notes. Her main philosophy is to rely on existing resources to make buildings successful and sustainable. 1/3rd of the world population especially in the Southern Hemisphere has been relying on eco building and housing without the need of depending on expensive and unsustainable materials.Dr Atiq Rahman, Executive Director of BCAS, who addressed the panelists with the following questions, moderated the waste management panel:1. How to raise awareness on the benefits of waste

management?2. What does the business sector teach us in this respect?3. How can collaborative efforts between the private, civil

and public sectors promote more feasible and long lasting solutions to waste?

4. What strategies support the reduction of waste?

The Panelists were the following:Abu Hasnat Md Maqsood Sinha, Executive Director of Waste Concern; Pavel Cech, Vice president Industrial ecology South-West and East Asia La Farge; Saiful Islam, Managing director of Picard Bangladesh Ltd.

The findings and recommendations of the panelists put emphasis on the ‘need of law enforcement to manage waste’. There is more than 10,000 tons of waste produced in Dhaka everyday of which aprox. 70% is organic degradable materials. However most of it is re-utilized in slums and suburban areas without a clear productive approach. The private sector should better learn on the cost opportunity of waste. There is an urgent need to raise awareness to promote mindset shift and change. Local technology to treat waste should be adapted to local needs for local context. Industrial recycling, safety and protection of dangerous waste should be enforced by law.

The compliance panelBackground information:Viewing compliance as a business opportunity. The first steps companies must take to become more sustainable and responsible arise from the law. However, legal requirements are relative complex as they change from country to country. In addition, companies feel pressure to abide by voluntary codes of conduct imposed by their respective buyers, industrial association or civil society organizations but also by self regulations. Companies which are in the front run to adopt emerging norms will have the advantage to experiment new materials, technologies and strategies which will allow them to have costs but also to ensure sustainable access to old and new markets.However, the challenge is still with the monitoring and enforcement capacity of the government, in making sure that social and environmental standard are respected and put in practice.Market based approaches tools could improve environmental compliance if it is evident that there are cost-savings opportunities and customers are more inclined to green products and services.Finally, the private sector must be convinced that by being complaint, it gains business success and sustainability, and it maximizes long term economic value creation. In practical terms, this would mean integrating environmental, social and governance factors into the business strategy, in order to be able to measure the outputs and the assessment of both risks and opportunities.



The panel was introduced by Mr. Magnus Schmid, programme director of the Promotion of Social and Environmental Standards of the textile Industry (GIZ). He claimed that there are different factories which understand the need to apply social and environmental standards of compliance. Two factories have been mentioned as the winner of the ‘Social and Environment Excellence Award, 2012’ organized by GIZ and Bangladesh Brand Forum: Hamza BDL Group and Aboni Babylon Knitwears. However to foster compliance, public-private partnerships are essential.The moderator was Mr. Afsan Chowdhury, Executive Editor of BDnews24.com.His panel reacted to the following questions:1. How well prepared is the business sector in Bangladesh

to face this challenge?2. What are the major obstacles which undermine the

socio-environmental compliance process?3. Mandatory versus voluntary compliance. Which is the

best strategy to adapt in a context such as the one of Bangladesh?

The participants of the Compliance panel were: Dr Shatadru Chattopadhayay, managing director REC south and south-east Asia, Solidaridad Network; Mr Shafiul Islam, president of BGMEA; Mr. Karl Borgshulze, Managing Director of CSI, Hong Kong; Mr Avedis Seferian, President and CEO of WRAP; Md. Shahjahan, Director General IC department of Environment.The panelists agreed that compliance should not be seen as a challenge but rather as an opportunity for competition.

He drew five conclusions:

1. The root causes need to be addressed: it is cheaper to mainstream CSR and take into account social and environmental challenges from the beginning of the supply chain, rather than thereafter.

2. Green technology reduces costs.3. It is vital to make the right choices. Sustainable and responsible behavior will reward courageous

companies, as they will gain competitive advantages.4. Dhaka needs a Mayor and a City Council. The capital’s massive problems require immediate

attention.5. Green conscience is necessary. We must start today.

‘The private sector needs to lead the way in environmental sustainability. But government must take its responsibility by providing guidance through a clear and strong regulatory framework,’ the Ambassador stressed.

However, compliance is not enough to address relevant social and environmental challenges. From a sustainable point of view, voluntary actions are the best but need to be accompanied by strong regulatory framework requesting the private sector to be more compliant. Despite the huge progress in promoting social compliance especially with reference to the working conditions of the workers, there is the pressure and urgency to expand such efforts along the supply chain and in other industrial sectors. A strong awareness campaign besides a smart and efficient regulatory framework might ensure better compliance. The Government needs to set the playing field and persecute the violators.

The German Ambassador Dr. Albrecht Conze made the final remarks.

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7. Profile of the speakers:

II Global Social

Responsibility Conference

2013

Detailed PROGRAM OUTLINE

28 February 2013

Opening Ceremony:

Conference Host:

Daniel Seidl, Executive Director of BGCCI

Mr. Seidl is since 2009 the Executive Director of the Bangladesh German Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BGCCI). Before coming to Bangladesh he worked over 15 years as business consultant and Director in different companies in the field of strategy and marketing. His MBA he achieved at the private University Witten/Herdecke, Germany and received a stipend from Harvard, USA.

Opening ceremony speakers:

William Hanna, H.E. EU Ambassador

Head of Delegation of the EU to Bangladesh.

After joining the European Commission in 1983, he was posted as Economic Adviser in European Delegations in the Caribbean and in Cameroon, between 1987 and 1994. Back in Head quarters from 1994 to 2000, he served first as Head of Unit for Human Resources, and later Head of Division for West Africa. He became Ambassador and head of delegation in Tanzania in 2000 and in Uruguay and Paraguay in 2004. He dealt with regional cooperation in Asia between 2008 and 2010 before becoming the new EU Ambassador in Bangladesh.

Sakhawat Abu Khair President BGCCI.

Mr. Sakhawat Abu Khair Mohammed is the current President of the Bangla-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BGCCI). He owns a Master degree in Textile Engineering from the University of” Westsaechsische Hochschule Zwickau “. He is the owner/shareholder of the following companies, where he also act as Managing director: Robintex Ltd, Comptex Ltd, Robin Knitwear Ltd, Jamuna Bank Ltd, Islamic Finance & Investment Ltd, International Holding Ltd. He is also in the Board of Governor of Eastern University of Bangladesh.

H.E. Gerben de Jong, Ambassador, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Dhaka.

Distinguished Ambassdor of the Netherlands. He has working with the Dutch ministry of Foreign Affair since 1996. He has been appointed as Ambassador in Vietnam, Senegal and currently in Bangladesh. From 2005 to 2009 he has been the Director of the Dept of Environment and water in The Hague. He has also been an active Board Member of GEF (Global Environment Facility).

Dr. Hasan Mahmud, Honorable Minister of Environment and forest, Bangladesh.

Dr. Mohammed Hasan Mahmud is a Member of Bangladesh National Parliament elected from the constituency 283 Chittagong-6 (Rangunia Upazila and part of Boalkhali Upazila) and, at present, he is the Minister for Environment and


Forests of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Prior to his appointment as Minister, Dr Mahmud served in the Cabinet of Bangladesh Government as State Minister for Environment and Forests and State Minister for Foreign affairs. He bears a very diverse academic and political background. Dr. Mahmud did his Bachelor (with honours) and Master’s degrees in Chemistry respectively in 1988 and 1989 from the Chittagong University, Bangladesh. He again obtained his Second Masters in International Politics from Universite Libre des Bruxelles in 1996. In the same year, he obtained his Third Master’s degree in Advanced Studies in Human Ecology (Environmental Science) from Vrije University of Brussels. Dr. Mahmud completed his Ph.D in Environmental Chemistry from Limburg University Centrum, Belgium in 2001.

Session I: Introducing Green Economy: Why does it make business sense?

Mrs Uta Bollhoff, Head Directorate-General “Europe, Middle East and Asia; multilateral development policy”. Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Berlin.

At the BMZ, Dr Böllhof is concerned with bilateral cooperation with Asia, the Middle East and multilateral cooperation. Previously, she worked for McKinsey & Company, a management consulting firm, both in Germany and in the Middle East. In her position as Senior Manager, she was responsible for public sector projects for many years, with a particular focus on national and regional economic development in developing and emerging economies and on enhancing effectiveness in development cooperation.

Prof Jan Pronk, Dutch politician and diplomat. Former minister of environment and development cooperation of the Netherlands.

Jan Pronk graduated as economist at Erasmus University in

Rotterdam (NL) in 1964. He has been research fellow and lecturer at this university until 1971, in which year he was elected Member of Parliament. He has been Minister for Development Cooperation from 1973-1977 and from 1989-1998, and Minister of Environment from 1998-2002. From 1980 to1986 he was Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD in Geneva. From 2000 to 2001 he was Chairman of the 6th Conference of Parties at the UN Convention on Climate Change. From 2001 to 2002 he was Special Envoy of the Secretary General of United Nations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. Presently he is Professor Emeritus at the International Institute of Social Studies of the Erasmus University in The Hague/Rotterdam, and visiting professor at the UN University for Peace in Costa Rica.

Green Economy Panel: Green Economy in Bangladesh: the path towards sustainable growth – A review of challenges and opportunities.

Introductory notes speaker:

Robert Juhkam, Deputy Country Director, UNDP Bangladesh

Robert Juhkam (Estonia) has been serving as Deputy Country Director of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bangladesh since September 2008. Robert has twenty-three years of experience as a development professional, of which thirteen years have been in Asia, three years in government and seventeen years in the UN system at HQ, regional, country office and grassroots levels. Robert holds an Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Diploma in Social Sciences from University of Stockholm (development studies).

Moderator:

Amy Yee, Freelance Journalist

Amy Yee is an American journalist based in New Delhi since 2006. She was with the Financial Times from 1999 to 2008,

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most recently as Delhi correspondent and previously as a reporter based in New York. As a freelance journalist, she has written for the New York Times, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, The International Herald Tribune, The Lancet, Forbes, The Christian Science Monitor and other publications. She writes about business, business solutions to poverty and development issues, including clean energy and public health. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

Panelists:

Stefanos Fotiou, Senior Regional Coordinator, UNEP

Stefanos is an expert on sustainable development and currently serving as the UNEP Senior Regional Coordinator on “Resource Efficiency” for the Asia and the Pacific Region. Under his portfolio he is coordinating the regional implementation of UNEP’s initiatives on Resource Efficiency including Green Economy, Sustainable Consumption and Production, relations with Industry, and other areas. His professional experience includes assignments for the European Commission, work for the private sector and posts in research and academic institutes. He holds a Master Degree in Forestry, a PhD in Natural Resources Economics and a Master on Information Systems.

David Hasnat, CEO Viyellatex group

Mr. David Hasanat is the Chairman and CEO of VIYELLATEX group, a textile/apparel focused conglomerate in Bangladesh. Mr. Hasanat is now widely recognized as an accomplished businessperson having a successful track record of establishing and developing new ventures. In recognition of sustainable business initiatives, he was invited to speak on the ‘United Nations forum on Green Economy’ in UN headquarters New York in 2010 and also in Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) private sector forum held in Istanbul, Turkey in 2011 and Vienna, Austria in 2012.

Folkert De Jager, Resident Project Manager Vitens-Evides International

Mr. De Jager represents Vitens-Evides International, a joint venture of the two largest water utilities in The Netherlands. He is currently the resident project manager for Vitens-Evides support programme to DWASA in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In 1998, he obtained his Masters Degree in Civil Engineering, with specialization in Water Resources Management, from Twente University in the Netherlands. Since then he has developed 14 years of professional working experience in the fields of drinking water supply & sanitation, urban services & utility management and integrated water resources management. His experience is based on a variety of assignments, both in The Netherlands and abroad. Since 2005 he has been based abroad constantly, advising water utilities in Mongolia, PR China, DPR Korea and Mozambique.

Kamran Bakr, Chairman and MD UNILEVER Bangladesh

Mr. Kamran Bakr is the Chairman & Managing Director of Unilever Bangladesh Limited (UBL), one of the largest FMCG Companies in the country. Mr. Kamran joined Unilever Bangladesh in 1990. After working in a variety of roles encompassing Production, Development, Industrial Relations as well as a short term assignment to Central Asia & Middle East Regional Innovation Centre, he was appointed Technical Director in 1997. In 2002, as Supply Chain Director, his role was expanded to include Planning, Procurement & Distribution aspects of the business.

Khondkar Morshed Millat Deputy General Manager Banking Regulation and Policy Department, Bangladesh Bank


Khondkar Morshed Millat, has been serving for the last 20 years in the Central Bank of Bangladesh. Since his joining in 1993 Mr. Millat served in the core departments at different levels as Assistant Director, Deputy Director, Joint Director and Deputy General Manager in Department of Off-site Supervision, Foreign Exchange Policy and Banking Regulation and Policy Department. He obtained MSS in Economics from Dhaka University and a Diplomaed Associate of Institute of Bankers Bangladesh (DAIBB).

Session II: Social Innovation and Appropriate Technology to address environmental challenges in Bangladesh: the business case

Speaker:

Bastiaan Mohrmann, Head of Water South Asia Sustainable Business Advisory IFC

Bastiaan Mohrmann joined the International Finance Corporation in 1992 in Washington, DC, as investment officer. He was active across agribusiness, manufacturing and mining sectors, including a two-year stint in Johannesburg heading new business development in South Africa. In 2004, Mr Bastiaan transferred to IFC advisory services where he grew the supply chain linkages program, and subsequently headed the IFC SME team. In parallel, he championed the emerging field of water footprint. In January 2011, Mr Bastiaan assumed his current position based in Kolkata.

Prior to IFC, Bas Mohrmann worked for the European Commission in Brussels and HVA from The Netherlands. He has an MSc from Wageningen University, The Netherlands, in Agricultural Engineering, specialized in irrigation, hydrology and management science, and an MBA from INSEAD, France.

Water Panel:


Dr Carel Richter, Deputy Ambassador, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Dr Richter is currently the Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Dhaka Bangladesh, also in charge of Development cooperation and Economic Affairs and Trade. His professional experience is in the areas of Trade and Business, Conflict Resolution, Mediation, Negotiation, Political Analysis, Diplomacy, Management and Finance. He holds a PHD in politics from the University of York (UK).

Moderator:

Dr. Md Khairul Islam, Country representative WaterAid

Dr. Md. Khairul Islam is one of the leading public health professionals of Bangladesh. He started his career in the health service in Bangladesh, served in Directorate of Health, Planning Commission; and several national and international NGOs in Bangladesh and Africa in leadership and managerial positions. Before assuming the role of the Country Representative of WaterAid in Bangladesh about five years ago he served as the Regional Program Support Manager of Plan for the region of Easter and Southern Africa. Currently, his organizational efforts are centered on establishing water, sanitation and hygiene as basic human rights at national and global level.

Panelists:

Eng. Taqsem A Khan, Managing Director, DWASA.

Taqsem Khan is the CEO of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA). Taqsem has 30 years of vast management experience. He obtained his Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from Moscow, USSR in 1981, and started his professional

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career with PHILIPS Bangladesh Ltd. as Production Engineer. He is one of the founders of the environment movement in Bangladesh, and played an active part in the formation of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) in 2000. Also, Taqsem is one of the leaders and a member of the Initiators’ Group of Bangladesh Environment Network (BEN).

Saroj Dash, Head of Context in Concern Worldwide.

Saroj Dash has worked in the field of Climate Change and Poverty for last 20 years. Mr Dash has been holding the responsibility of Head of Context in Concern Worldwide (CWW). Mr Dash is also leading a Multi-Country initiative on Climate Change in the Bay of Bengal region covering both India and Bangladesh. Mr Dash studied Environment and Development as a Lead-India Cohort of Rockefeller Foundation, USA and has completed Environment Education Course from Centre for Environment Education under the Commonwealth Fellowship program. He has obtained an Advanced Certificate on Social Welfare Administration from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai- India. Mr Dash also holds a Masters Degree and Bachelors Degree in Law from Utkal University, Odisha -India. He is currently the member of the Leadership in Environment and Development (LEAD) Fellowship- a worldwide network of over 2500 leaders working globally.

Lars Doemer, Environment Responsible, Global Production (H&M)

Lars is working as the Environment Responsible, Global Production for H&M. In this role he is overseeing the company’s environmental program in the global supply chain, including leadership for H&M on the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) program that will lead the industry towards zero discharge of hazardous chemicals by 2020 and he is member of the Steering committee of the IFC PaCT Program in Bangladesh. Lars works with all Production

offices to monitor and align the environmental programs in different regions.

Prior to joining H&M, Lars was the General Manager for Asia at GSM (Global Sustainable Management) and Head of the Technical Department at the eco-tex Institute in Germany. He has over 15 years of experience working the textile supply chain in Europe and Asia, where he has been involved in multi-stakeholder projects with both governments and NGOs. Whilst at TUV Rheinland in Shenzhen, he worked with the German government and CSR Asia to develop the innovative FIT5 program to improve factory conditions.

Abdul Mohammed Jabbar, Managing Director (DBL group)

Mr. M.A. Jabbar is a distinguished personality in the readymade garments (RMG) sector of Bangladesh and is the main architect of DBL Group. After completing his graduation in computer science from U.S.A he came back to Bangladesh with a vision to make valuable contributions to the economy of the country. Accordingly, he joined Dulal Brothers Ltd. as a Marketing Director and was able to achieve increasing export orders for garments, in particular from buyers in the UK.

Mr. Ganesh Pangare, Head, Ecosystems and Livelihood Group and Head, Water Programme, IUCN.

Ganesh Pangare is currently Head of Ecosystems and Livelihoods Group, Asia and WATER Program, Asia IUCN, Asia Regional Office. His main area of work during the past twenty seven years has been in people - centered water interventions, such as indigenous water harvesting systems, micro-watershed management, participatory irrigation management, wetlands management, urban water bodies, and wastewater management. Ganesh is a Fellow of the London-based Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) International Program. He is also a Fellow of the Ashoka Innovators for the Public Program based in Washington, and a


Fellow of the East-West Centre, Hawaii. He is also an Advisor to the Water Portfolio of the Acumen Fund, USA.

Alternative Sources of Energy Panel:


Prof Dr Ijaz Hossain, Chemical Engineering Department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET)

He possesses over 15 years of experience in the field of chemical engineering with an emphasis on energy and environment both as a teacher/researcher and as a consultant engineer. He is also one of the directors of Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration Company Limited (BAPEX). He has been an advisor to the Department of Environment, GoB on Climate Change issues, particularly on GHG (green house gas) emission inventory, mitigation options and CDM (clean development mechanism). He is also working as an expert for several international organizations such as IPCC (Intergovernmental panel on climate change), UNFCCC (United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change), UNDP (United Nation Development Program) Headquarters and UNEP (United Nation Environmental Program).

He earned his BSc (1980) and MSc (1983) in Chemical Engineering from BUET and PhD in Chemical Engineering from University College London, London (1987).

Moderator:

Akbar Hossain, Correspondent of BBC Bengali Service, Dhaka Bureau.

Akbar Hossain is a correspondent of BBC Bengali Service in Dhaka bureau. He joined the BBC in 2005. Apart from he contributes for bbcbangla.com website covering the same

issues. Akbar is now hosting a weekly television debate programme titled ‘BBC Bangladesh Sanglap’ which enables common people to put their views and questions to the policy makers. Akbar graduated from Dhaka University in Mass Communication and Journalism. He started his carrier as reporter in The Daily Star, a leading English newspaper in Bangladesh.

Panelists:

Erich Otto Gomm, Programme co-ordinator of Sustainable Energy for Development, GIZ;

International energy advisory, currently working as project contract manager at GIZ in Bangladesh. He has a wide experience and expertise in project management as energy advisor for consulting engineering companies and GTZ in developing countries in South-east Asia, South and Central America, Southern Africa and in European countries. He adquired his energy expertise through wide-ranging consulting experience in energy economics, energy planning, energy policy development, energy sector organisation and regulation, energy for rural development. Finally he has also provided advisory services for establishment/restructuring of energy departments in government and regional institutions.

Munawar, Misbah Moin, Group Director of Rahimafrooz Ltd.

Mr. Munawar Misbah Moin is the Group Director of Rahimafrooz (Bangladesh) Ltd. He leads the Solar PV and Energy Services Business including Carbon Trading. He also heads the Battery Business with exports to over 50 countries. Mr. Munawar Moin on behalf of the board lead the V2015 program to transform Rahimafrooz into one of the most admired and trusted enterprises with global operations. He completed his undergraduate studies in Business from St John’s University, Minnesota, USA.

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Mahmood Malik, Executive Director and CEO, Infrastructure Development Company Ltd.

Mr. Malik, a career banker, started his banking career banking career with American Express Bank, Bangladesh in 1992 as relationship manager for Institutional Banking and joined Standard Chartered Bank in 1995. In 2003 he moved to Standard Chartered Bank, Dubai as the Regional Head of Transaction Sales for Financial Institutions for Middle East and South Asia. Before joining SCB in Dubai he was head of Financial Institution for SCB in Bangladesh. Before joining IDCOL Mr. Malik served as the Managing Director of Bangladesh Industrial Finance Company Limited (BIFC) and Industrial and Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IIDFC). Mr Malik holds an MBA in International Business and Marketing from University of Houston, Texas, USA.

Berto Giuseppe, CEO and Managing Director of EOS Textile Mills Ltd DEPZ Savar Dhaka Bangladesh.

Since 1999 he lives in Bangladesh and he is the owner, CEO and managing director of the EOS textile Mills. From 1982 to 1999 he was the managing director and owner of all factories belonging to Gruppo Berto ((Spinning factory “S. Gabriele SPA” then incorporated into Berto E. G. Flli Berto Spa, and Manufacturing Corona Spa). He owns an MBA from the Institute of CUOA at Padua (Italy).

Antxón Galán, MD T-Solar/ISOLUX, India

M.Sc. in Physics from Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Ms. in Renewable Energy from Universidad de Zaragoza and

executive MBA from Escuela Europea de Negocios. Began his career managing European R&D Projects at a Construction Co. Since 2006 has been working in the solar market as senior project manager, business development and managing positions in different companies. In 2010 joined T-Solar as Head of Business Development in India.

Waste & Recycling Panel:

Introductory notes’speaker:

Dr. Anna Heringer, Director of BASEhabitat and visiting professor at the University of Arts Linz, Austria.

Throughout her career, Anna Heringer has been focusing her work on sustainable building. Since 2008, Heringer is the Director of BASEhabitat, which she co-founded in 2005. Further, she is a visiting professor at the University of Arts in Linz, Austria. Before, she also taught at the the Institute for Public Buildings and Design of the University Stuttgart, Germany as a visiting professor.

Heringer has extensive experience in living and working in Bangladesh, her biggest project being the METI Handmade school in Rudrapur. She obtained her Diploma in Architecture (University of Arts Linz, Austria) as well as her Ph.D. (Technical University Munich, Germany).

Moderator:

Dr Atiq Rahman, Executive Director of the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS),

He is a leading Environment and Development specialist from Bangladesh. Dr. Rahman has been conferred with the UNEP, ‘Champions of the Earth 2008’ award. An author and consultant, he has a number of publications tohis name and has developed an innovative post-graduate on sustainable development. He is also the Convener of a regional network- Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA) and the coordinator of the Global Forum on the Enviornment and Poverty (GFEP), an international network mandated at UNCED.


Dr Rahman has been a consultant to the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), UNDP , UN-DESA, UNEP, IFAD, ESCAP, UNCTAD, many national governments and several national and international NGOs.

Panelists:

Abu Hasnat Md. Maqsood Sinha, Executive Director, Waste Concern, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

He has been executive director of Waste Concern since 1994 as well as managing partner of Waste Concern Consultants since 2000 and managing director of WWR, Bio Fertilizer Bangladesh Ltd since 2003. In 2012 has been also appointed as Director of Waste to Resource Fund (W2RF). He holds an Master in Science in Urban Planning, Land and Housing Development from the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok, Thailand.

Pavel Cech, Vice President – Industrial Ecology South-West and East Asia (LaFarge)

After studies of Agricultural Mechanization and Business Administration started carrier with Lafarge in 1995. Since 1998 involved simultaneously in Purchasing and in what then used to be called Resource Recovery (RR) which evolved into Industrial Ecology (IE). So far, has served the Group in the Czech Republic, Nigeria, Jordan, Philippines and Malaysia on various positions.

Saiful Islam, MD of Picard Bangladesh Limited.

Md. Saiful Islam is one the leading businessmen/industrialists in the country having 25 years business experience in various sectors like Shipbuilding, leather-goods manufacturing,

dredging etc. He is currently the Managing Director of Picard Bangladesh Limited, the highest Exporter of Leather goods. He is also Chairman of Western Marine Shipyard Ltd, Narayangonj Engineering & Shipbuilding Limited and Banga Dredgers Limited. He is a Marine Engineer graduated in UK in 1985.

Compliance Panel:


Magnus Schmid, Program Coordinator of the Promotion of Social and Environmental Standards of the Textile Industry (GIZ).

His key qualifications are in the areas of private sector development (value chain promotion), training for entrepreneurs on compliance and M&E systems, preparation and implementation of M&E systesm and organizational development which he obtained while working with consulting companies, and civil society organizations in Central and South America, Africa and recently in Asia. He obtained a Msc in Agriculture Economics and Social Sciences from the Technical University of Munich (TUM),and carried out postgraduate studies in Rural Development at the Centre for Advanced Training in Rural Development, Humboldt University of Berlin (HUB).

Moderator:

Afsan Chowdhury, Executive Editor, bdnews24.com

Afsan Chowdhury is a journalist and researcher. He has worked for the Dhaka Courier, the Daily Star, BBC, etc. He was part of the Muktijuddher Dolilpatra Project led by Hasan Hafizur Rahman from 1978 to 1986 which produced 15 volumes of documents on the history of 1971. For the BBC, he produced eight radio series and several chat shows on the issue on 1971. He has produced a video documentary on women and 1971 titled “Tahader Juddhyo”. Afsan has edited and co-authored a four-volume history of 1971, “Bangladesh 1971”. He has worked in several parts of the world as a development and Human Rights specialist for the UN and other agencies.

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Afsan was the Oak Fellow on International Human Rights of the Colby College in the USA in 2008.

Panelists:

Shatadru Chattopadhayay, Managing director REC South & South-East Asia, Solidaridad Network.

Shatadru is the founder Managing Director of Solidaridad Regional Expertise Centre in India (2008) and Solidaridad Network Asia Limited in Hong Kong (2010) which are regional and continental affiliates of Solidaridad Network-a pioneering development cooperation organization headquartered in the Utrecht, Netherlands. Shatadru Chattopadhayay is a doctorate in South Asian Economy from School of International Studies with specialisation in agro-commodities. Shatadru has been working exclusively in the field of sustainability and corporate responsibility since the year 2000.

Shafiul Islam, President, BGMEA

President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BGMEA) and active member of the France Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce & Industry. He is also the managing director of the ONUS group. He holds a Master in Commerce obtained at Dhaka University in 1984.

Karl Borgschulze, Managing director of CSI, Hong Kong

Managing Director of CSI and in charge of the strategic alignment and sustainable optimisation of production chains in the textile industry both in European and Asian procurement markets. Has comprehensive expertise in international sustainability management and more than 25 years of experience in the textile industry as well as in the ecological optimisation of value chains.

Mr. Avedis Seferian, President and CEO of WRAP

Avedis H. Seferian joined WRAP in 2004 and became its President and CEO in April 2012. He began his career in the research field, working for a business development organization before migrating over to legal research. Prior to joining WRAP, Mr. Seferian was with a small law firm in Washington, DC. He has also taught in various capacities in the business and legal arenas, and is an adjunct professor in the University of Maryland University College’s MBA program. He holds a Bachelor’s in Economics from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University in India; an MBA from the American University of Armenia; and a Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center in the United States.

Md. Shahjahan, Director General, IC -Department of Environment

Md. Shahjahan, joined the Department of Environment (DoE) in January 1980 as Assistant Director (Head Quarter). He obtained his graduation in Civil Engineering from Rajshahi University in 1979. He completed his Post Graduate on Environmental Science & Technology from Netherlands in 1985 and Master Degree in Tropical Coastal Zone Management from UK in 1993. Currently he is working as a Director General, Department of Environment. He is also Chair of the Technical Committee for Environment Clearance in the Department of Environment.

Closure Ceremony:

Dr. Albrecht Conze, HE German Ambassador.

Dr. Conze is a German diplomat and UN peacekeeper. Following a one year sabbatical as a fellow of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University, he was appointed as Germany’s Ambassador to Bangladesh in August 2012.


8. Profile of the sponsors:

GIZ Profile (as at: 1 July 2012)

Broad-based expertise for sustainable development

The services delivered by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH draw on a wealth of regional and technical expertise and tried and tested management know-how. As a federal enterprise, we support the German Government in achieving its objectives in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development. We are also engaged in international education work around the globe.

Tailored services

We offer demand-driven, tailor-made and effective services for sustainable development. To ensure the participation of all stakeholders, we apply a holistic approach based on the values and principles upheld in German society. This is how we facilitate change and empower people to take ownership of their own sustainable development processes. In doing this, we are always guided by the concept of sustainable development, and take account of political, economic, social and ecological factors. We support our partners at local, regional, national and international level in designing strategies and meeting their policy goals.

Developing solutions

GIZ operates in many fields: economic development and employment promotion; governance and democracy; security, reconstruction, peacebuilding and civil conflict transformation; food security, health and basic education; and environmental protection, resource conservation and climate change mitigation. We also support our partners with management and logistical services, and act as an intermediary, balancing diverse interests in sensitive contexts. In crises, we carry out refugee and emergency aid programmes. As part of our services, we also second development advisors to partner countries.

Through programmes for integrated and returning experts, we place managers and specialist personnel in key positions in partner countries. We also promote networking and dialogue among actors in international cooperation. Capacity development for partner-country experts is a major component of our services, and we offer our programme participants diverse opportunities to benefit from the contacts they have made. We also give young people a chance to gain professional experience around the world – exchange programmes for young professionals lay the foundations for successful careers in national and international markets.

Who we work for

Most of our work is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. GIZ also operates on behalf of other German ministries – including the Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, the Federal Ministry of Defence, the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research – as well as German states and municipalities, and public and private sector clients in Germany and abroad. These include the governments of other countries, the European Commission, the United Nations and the World Bank. We work closely with the private sector and promote synergies between the development and foreign trade sectors. Our considerable experience with networks in partner countries and in Germany is a key factor for successful international cooperation, not only in the business, research and cultural spheres, but also in civil society. Global reach – the company at a glance

GIZ operates throughout Germany and in more than 130 countries worldwide. Our registered offices are in Bonn and Eschborn. We have more than 17,000 staff across the globe, some 70 per cent of whom are employed locally as national personnel. There are also around 1,000 development advisors working for GIZ. In addition, CIM – which is jointly run by GIZ and the German Federal Employment Agency – places experts with local employers. At the end of 2011, almost 600 integrated experts had employment contracts with organisations and companies in the field, while 450 returning experts were receiving financial support and advice. Last year just under 500 young people were assigned abroad through the ‘weltwärts with GIZ’ programme. At year-end GIZ’s business volume stood at around EUR 2 billion.

(Figures as at 31 December 2011)

DBL Group DBL Group is a diversified business entity which has a vertically integrated textile and apparel manufacturing facility, concerns in ICT & Telecommunications, Ceramic Tiles, etc. Its vision is ‘To extend our leadership through world class performance’ and its mission is that ‘We will develop a progressive, empowered and consumer focused corporate culture to enhance market leadership along with the passion of Corporate Social Responsibility.’ DBL Group started business in 1991 and till to date it has resulted in a conglomerate of 19 concerns. Today DBL Group is recognized as one of the leaders in the composite knit garments and textiles industry of Bangladesh.

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DBL Group has a dedicated and skilled workforce of 15,700 employees and is equipped with world-class management skills which ensure a top notch performance in all aspects of its operation. DBL Group supplies quality apparels to globally renowned biggest retailers and is focused on upholding the reputation of the readymade garments and textiles industry of Bangladesh.

DBL Group has integrated CSR in all aspects of its business operations. We believe that setting up industries and creating employment is the best way to serve the society. Our state-of-the-art machineries along with environmental management systems in place ensure that the impact on environment is reduced. DBL Group is working with International Development Partners like IFC, GIZ and CARE to fulfill its responsibility towards the society and environment. It has embarked on an extensive expansion with aims to create another 20,000 jobs by 2016 and have a visible contribution to the GDP of Bangladesh by 2020.

Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd.Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd. (LSC) was incorporated on 11 November 1997 as a private limited company in Bangladesh under the Companies Act 1994 having its registered office in Dhaka. On 20 January 2003, Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd. was made into a public limited company. The Company is listed in Dhaka and Chittagong Stock Exchanges. Today, Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd. has more than 23,000 shareholders.

In November 2000, the two Governments of India and Bangladesh signed a historic agreement through exchange of letters in order to support this unique cross border commercial venture and till date it is the only cross border industrial venture between the two countries. Since Bangladesh does not have any commercial deposit of limestone, the agreement provides for uninterrupted supply of limestone to the cement plant at Chhatak in Bangladesh by a 17 km long belt conveyor from the quarry located in the state of Meghalaya. The Company in Bangladesh, Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd. wholly owns a subsidiary company Lafarge Umiam Mining Private Ltd. (LUMPL) being registered in India, which operates its quarry at Nongtrai in Meghalaya.

This commercial venture with an investment of USD 280 million, which is one of the largest foreign investments in Bangladesh, has been financed by Lafarge, S.A., Cementos Molins, S.A., a number of leading Bangladeshi business houses together with International Finance Corporation (IFC), The World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), German Development Bank (DEG), European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO).

Lafarge Surma Cement is a venture of Lafarge and Cementos Molins. Lafarge is the world leader in building materials with top-ranking positions in its Cement, Aggregates & Concrete

businesses. It has more than 176 years of experience and operates in 64 countries with around 68,000 employees. Since 2010, the Lafarge Group has been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, in recognition of its sustainable development actions. Cementos Molins is a family owned Spanish Company with more than 80 years of experience. Apart from its operation in Spain, it has operations in Bangladesh, Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, and Tunisia, controlling 16 million tons of cement.

Now, we are producing world class clinker and cement, which is a demonstration of the sophisticated and state-of-the-art machineries and processes of our plant at Chhatak. We believe that cement is an essential material that addresses vital needs of the construction sector. We are optimistic to meet the growing needs for housing and infrastructure in the construction sector of Bangladesh.

Paramount Textile LimitedParamount Textile is an Oeko-tex (Class#1) Certified 100% export oriented woven fabric manufacturer, equipped with modern machineries, producing 19 million yards of fabrics annually. Having started the journey in 2006, in short span of time it has occupied a consolidated place among the fashion brands and retailers across the world. Such as:

MARKS AND SPENCER, H&M, NEXT, ESPRIT, LEVI’s, NAUTICA, ZARA, UNIQLO, C&A, TOM TAILOR, CAMEL ACTIVE, OLYMP and many more big brands and retailers.

Paramount Textile is producing fabrics from plain weave to structured twills, dobby and satins with wide range of design and different types of finishing. By now it has earned, Oeko-Tex standard 100(Class#1), ISO 9001-2008, Global Organic Textile Standard , Organic Exchange 100 Standard , Global Recycle Standard (GRS) and Organic Exchange Blended Standard Certificate.

With its own state of the art in house testing laboratory Paramount is able to meet the desired standards of all brands and retailers.

Since its inception, Paramount Textile is very much aware about conserving energy and avoids pollution of climate. Efficient use of energy, protection of natural resources, protection of bio-diversity, reduction of Co2 emission and use of natural resources are major concern of the company.

Paramount Textile believes in CSR, not as a tool of financial benefit but an unavoidable responsibility for sustainable business and social welfare. Beside improving the livelihood


of all employees of the company it contributes to helpless and distressed people of the society. It regularly contributes to various organizations that are taking care of health and education of under- privileged people.

The company already has earned good name in textile sector and contributing to national economical goal.

Intertek Softlines BangladeshIntertek is the leading quality solutions provider to industries worldwide. From auditing and inspection, to testing, training, advisory, quality assurance and certification, Intertek adds value to customers’ products, processes and assets. With a network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 35,000 people in more than 100 countries, Intertek supports companies’ success in a global marketplace. Intertek helps its customers to meet end users’ expectations for safety, sustainability, performance, integrity and desirability in virtually any market worldwide.

In Bangladesh, Intertek Softlines division started its journey in 2001 with its inspection facility and gradually crossing several milestones over the years, which include a textile testing laboratory in 2004 and a state-of-art analytical laboratory in 2009. As a result of continuous growth in Bangladesh, Intertek Softlines division established a state-of-the-art NABL accredited laboratory in Chittagong in 2011, which is first ever in this region. With a total strength of more than 500 employees, we offer unparalleled services in textile testing, inspection & auditing. We serve more than one third of major retailers across the globe which includes Wal-mart, Target, H&M, Levi’s, C&A, GAP, Tesco, Marks & Spencer, PVH, VF Corporation, Next and many more.

Intertek Softlines Bangladesh’s major business streams are – Textile & Analytical testing, Inspection, Auditing, Supplier Management, Training and Verification services. To ensure quality and safety, we are offering lots of textile testing like color fastness tests, dimensional stability (shrinkage) tests, strength tests, fabric composition & construction tests, flammability test, fabric performance tests and garment accessory tests. Intertek Bangladesh also offer wide range of eco-textile /analytical testing covering almost all parameters required by federal regulations, CPSIA and many other restricted substances.

In the area of inspection, Intertek Softlines Bangladesh offers a wide range of services. Buyers need to follow up production to ensure goods being manufactured meet their quality requirements and shipped timely manner. Our inspection services are Pre-Production inspection, fabric Inspection, during production Inspection, Final random inspection, Loading supervision and Production and delivery monitoring. To improve the working condition, security measures of production and environmental standard of the mills and factories Intertek Bangladesh Softlines Bangladesh offer so many programs like BSCI, WRAP, SA-8000 Certification, SEDEX, ICS, DISNEY, COC. Intertek also has developed its own safety and sustainability solution programmes like Workplace Conditions Assessment (WCA), Think Green Initiative (TGI), Mill Qualification Programme (MQP), Supplier Qualification Programme (SQP), Global Security Verification (GSV), Intertek also offers training programmes on quality inspections and social compliance auditing, accredited by Compliance Practitioners Initiative (CPI) and supplier verification services, enabled by Tradegood etc. We are very proud to be one of the leading service providers of services associated with and accredited to the very highest standards under national and international accreditation schemes. We want to develop a strong partnership and relationships with each client by providing ultimate satisfaction through our unparallel services.

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Participant List of Global Social Responsibility 2013

Company Name Participants NameAABA Group Motiur Rahma, Sr. Manager - HR & Compliance

ABB Limited Mr. Mahmud, General Manager

ActionAid Bangladesh Mr. Asgar Ali Sabri, Director - Programme, Policy & Campaigns

Agrogoti Sangstha Carolien Pronk, Health Rights Documentation & Communication Advisor

Ahmed Mashuque & Co. Mohammed Monir-uz-Zaman, Director, Commercial

Akij Group Mr. Sk. Bashir Uddin, Managing Director

ATM Trade International, Reines Wasser Md. Fazlur Rahman, Managing Director

Artisan Ceramics Ltd Md.Nasimul Islam, Head of Admin,HR,Labour.CSR & Compliance

Awaj Foundation Miss Akter Nazma, General Secretary & Executive Director

BBangladesh Copyright & IP Forum Miss Tamanna Faiz Deputy Director, PR & Communications

A B M Hamidul Mishbah, Chief Executive

BanglaCAT Rental , Bangla Trac Limited Mr. Nazmul Haque, CEO

BASF Asia Pacific Dubourg Saori, President - Functions and Regional Cooperation

BASF Bangladesh Limited Mustafa Shafkat, Manager Communications

Patwary Abdul Matin, Director Finance & Control

Alam Arshad-ul, Director Marketing

Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services (BD) Ltd. Rasanga U. Hewage, Country Chief Executive

Ali Irshad Zaidi, Manager, CSR Service, South Asia

Biocom Trade Intl Mrs. Sharmina Yeasmin, Director

Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) Md. Ashraful Kabir, General Manager, Dhaka EPZ

BGMEA Md. Md Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, President

Faroque Hassan, Vice President

Md. Emdad Ul Hoque, Deputy Secretary

Bangladesh National Council (BNC) Roy Romesh Chandra, General Secretary

Beximco Limited Khan Amin Sabir, Sr. General Manager

Shahrior Khakid, Deputy General Manager

Biocom Trade Intl Mrs. Sharmina Yeasmin Director

CCBM Bettina Schmidt, Coordinator, Disability Inclusive Development

Consulting Service International Mr. Ozan Özdemir, Management

Miss Simonato, project partnership

Mr. Zocher, Consultant

CSR Centre Farooq Sobhan, Chairman

CU Certifications Ltd (Control Union) Mr. Prosé, Mark, Managing Director


DDBL Group Md. Hassan Imam,, Director

Mahfuzur Rahman,, Assistant General Manager, Compliance

Mohammed Zahidullah, General Manager (Corporate)

Mr. Mehrab Chowdhury, Executive (Corporate)

Arifur Rahman, Executive, EMS

DEZ Mr. Parvez Akhter, Senior Investment Manager

Dhaka EPZ Md Jillur Rahman, Superintending Engineer

Dhaka Ahsania Mission Engr. Md. Abdus Sadeque, Coordinator, SDT- RM

Digital Factory International Ltd. Jonathan Reinhard, CEO

Dutch Bangla Pack Ltd Abdul Mumit, Director

DWASA-VEI Folkert de Jager, Resident Project Manager

EESPRIT De Crop. Far East Ltd. Mikael Grard, Head of Sourcing Bangladesh

Echotex Limited Redwan R. Chowdhury, Director, Ethical Trade

Epyllion Group Md. Junaid Abu Salay Musa, Director

Md. Rezaul Kabir, AGM

Sayed Sayeed Munir, General Manager

Rothin Pallab Chakrabarty, DGM-Maintenance

ExpoNet Exhibition (Pvt) Ltd. Rashedul Haque, Director, Media & Marketing

Mr. Arif Rahman, Chief Executive officer

Everest Fine Porcelain Ltd. Mr. R. Maksud Khan, Chairman

EU Ms. Rubayat Jesmin, Senior Programme Officer

Economic Relations Division (ERD)

Ministry of Finance Mr. Abul Mansur Md. Faizullah, Joint Secretary- Europe

Mr. Supriya Kumar Kundu, Deputy Secretary – Europe wing

Mr. Mohd. Enamul Haque, Senior Assistant Secretary - Europe

Echotex Limited Brig. Gena. A. K. M. Rezaul Karim, Director

Redwanur Rahman Chowdhury, Director

Eng. Rokonuzzaman, Manager

Mahbubur Rahman Bhuiyan, Asst. Manager

Everest Fine Porcelain Ltd. R. Maksud Khan, Chairman

EQMS Kazi Farhed Iqubal, Executive Director

Eastern Bank Ltd Fahmida Rahman, Senior Manager

Naziat Zahira Kazi, Associate Manager

Embassy of Sweden Mr. Lannerberth, Christian, Second Secretary (Development cooperation)

Embassy of Denmark Mrs. Anette Snedgaard Galskjøt, Commercial Counselor

Mrs. Samina A Shahrukh, Senior Commercial Officer

K. Farah Nayer Zabeen, Programme Officer

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Embassy of German Ms. Uta Böllhoff

Dr. Albrecht Conze

Dr. Thomas Helfen (BMZ)

Mr. Jürgen Kretz (BMZ)

Mr. Fabian Richter

Dr. Ralf Reusch

Mr. Johannes Schneider

Mr. Mohammed Alam

Ms. Leonie Esswein

FFashion Point Ltd. Mirza Enayet Hossain, Managing Director

GGreen Delta Insurance Co. Ltd. Mr. Nasir A Choudhury, Managing Director and CEO

GFA Consulting Group Kamrul Huda, Country Director

Genesis Washing Ltd. Munir Ahmed, Managing Director

Md. Abdullah Al Amin, Head Of Operation

Shakhawat Hossain, Assistant Manager, Maintenance

Global Resource Augmentation & Management Ltd. (GRAM) M Mahtab Ali, Managing Director

Goethe-Institute Bangladesh Miss Simone Knoll, Intern

GIZ Mr. Ambadar, David, Programme Manager

Afsaruddin Ahmed, Senior Advisor- PSES

Mrs. Arsenault, Marie Pierre, Researcher- SSP

Mrs. Fatema, Co-ordinator - IS SSP

Md Khalequzzaman, Senior Adviser -SED

Dr. Engr. Khursheed Ul Islam, Senior Advisor -SED

Mohammad Roqibul Islam, Advisor -SED

Ratan Kumar Ghosh, Senior Advisor-SED

Mr. Morshed- PSES

Miss. Nasrin- PSES

Miss. Nusrat- PSES

Miss. Farah- PSES

Mr. Zahin- PSES

Mr. Elke-- PSES

Miss. Tanuja- PSES

Mr. Carsten -PSES

Mr. Nabil- PSES

GKA & ASSOCIATES Mr. Khan, Architect/CEO

German University Bangladesh Prof. Dr. Ing. Saifullah Khandker, Chairman

GFA Kamrul Huda, Country Director


HHuntsman (Singapore) Pvt. Ltd Syed Mohammad Ismail, Sales Head

Md. Abdul Momin, Technical Specialist

Helicon ltd Simona Lepri

Hathay Bunano Proshikhon Society Mr. Golam Morshed, Chairman

IIsolux Corsan Jose Garrido De Las Haras, Managing Director

Francisco Martin Morales De Castilla, Energy M. D.

Xavier Lara Serra, Project Director

Antxon Galan Garcia, Director

Alvaro Aelso Ramirez Del Molino, Corporate Director

Institute of Governance Studies (IGS), BRAC University Kazi Nurmohammad Hossainul Haque, Senior Research Associate

IFC Mr. Kelkhofer, Country Director

Bastiaan Mohrmann, Head, Water South Asia

Nishat S Chowdhury, Deputy Program Manager, PaCT

Afifa Raihana, Consultant

ICCO & KiA Mrs. Salma Afroz, Finance Officer

F M Sarwar Hossain, Program Officer

Impactt Limited Selima Akhtar

Country Manager, Bangladesh

Intertek Softlines Bangladesh Mr. Rajesh Saigal ( Managing Director, Indian Subcontinent)

Mr. Calvin Yam (Sr. Vice President, Global Softlines)

Dr. Karthik ND (General Manager, Intertek Softlines Bangladesh)

Mr. Mamun Zaman ( Sr. Manager, Operations)

Habibur Rahman (Sr. Manager, Sales & Marketing)

Rashed Ahmed Mostafa (Deputy Manager, Sales & Marketing)

Rashadur Rahman (Deputy Manager, Trade good)

Rafiqul Islam ( Sr. Manager, Business Development)

Mainul Hasan Jony (Asst. Supervisor, Business development)

Zubair (Manager, Marketing)

ILO Lejo Sibbel, Senior Design Advisor

iDE Bangladesh Rajiv Pradhan, Country Directory

Inquisitive Chemistry Services Mr. Atiq, CEO

Institute for Sustainable Communities Chowdhruy, T. Adil, Country Director

Independent Consultant Mr. Francis/Julian

JJCPenney Mrs. Jenefa Jabbar, Regional Social Responsibilities Director

Dewan Shariful Alam, Social Responsibility Manager S.Asia

40 41

KKiK Textilien Und Non Food GmbH (KiK Service Unit Dhaka) Molla Meher Nawroz , General Manager, CSR (KiK SUD)

Erik Hollmann, Social Compliance Manager

Claudia Berkemeyer, CSR Process Manager

Kuehni+Nafel Ltd. Mr. Omar Rafi, Managing Director

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Colonel AKM Nazrul Islam (LPR), Project Coordinator

Kazi Shahid Foundation Mrs. Momtaz , CEO

Kryolan (Bd) Ltd. Yesmin Ipphat, CEO

KNS Consultants Ltd. Chowdhury Abul Hasan, Managing Director

Karben Solar Energy Ltd. Md. Farooq Siddiqui, Managing Director

L

Lab aid Sakif Shamim, Director

Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd. Tarek Elba, CEO

Pavel Cech, Lafarge Group

Arif Bhuiyan, Supply Chain Director

Tahya Hossain, HR & Corporate Affairs Director

Md. Anisuzzaman, Supply Chain

Mahfuzul Hoque, Supply Chain

Taufik Imam, Corporate Affairs

Rehan Azad, Corporate Affairs

Linde Bangladesh Limited Mr. Matin/Md Abdul, Head of SHEQ

M Mirpur Ceramic Works Ltd Ismail Faruque Chowdhury, Executive Director

Ministry of Environment and Forests Khan, SM Munjurul Hannan, Deputy Secretary

Maks Renewable Energy Company Ltd. Nessar Maksud Khan, Managing Director

N Navana Limited Mr. Yameen Farook, Operative Director

Mr. Hossain/Afsar, Senior Deputy General Manager

Northern Tosrifa Group Mr. Rafiq Hassan, Director

Nienhaus Und Lotz Gmbh/NTS Fashion Ltd Mr. Steffen Guenner, Global Purchasing Director

Novo Cargo Services Ltd. Sayed Mastafizur Rahman, Managing Director

PPicard Bangladesh Ltd Md. Saiful Islam, Managing Director

Md. Saeedul Islam, Director

Mr. Ibnul Wara , Head of Marketing

Amrita Makin Islam, Head of Operations & Business Development

Rasheda Khanam, Manager- HRD

Ghulam Mustafa, General Manager

Farid Uddin Ahmed, Trainee Officer, HR & Production

Prime Insurance Company Ltd. Ms. Mohammodi Khanam – Additional Managing Director


Mr. Syed Monirul Huq – Asst. M. D. & Head of Gulshan Branch

Paramount Textile Ltd. Iqbal Enamul Kabir , Executive Director

Pulcra Chemical Bangladesh Pvt. Mohammad Hasifur Rahman, General Manager, technical

Phocos Solar Bangladesh Limited Sattya Ranjan Bhattacharjee Managing Director

Parasol Energy Ltd. Robijn Jongkees, Managing Director

Palmal Group of Industries Major Md.Mizanur Rahman Khan(Retd), Project Head & GM,Admin,HR & Compliance

Phulki Surhaya

RRoyal Norwegian Embassy Sayeed Bayzid Muntasir , Chief Coordinator

Reed Consulting Bangladesh Ltd Rodney J Reed, Managing Director

Remex Corporation Limited Mr. M.R.A. Taha, Chairman

Robintex (BD)Ltd. Robin Razon Sakhawat, Director

Rahim Afroz Renewable Energy Munawar Misbah Moin, Managing Director

R.H Corporation Sajid Aftab, Sr. Officer

Tariqul Islam Chowdhury, Officer

SSun Fortune Ltd. - Bangladesh Liaison Office Khondokar Jesmen Akhter CSR Officer

Sanofi Aventis Bangladesh limited Khurshed, Manager Health safety & Environment

Solidaridad Network Selim Reza Hasan, Country Manager

Sarma / Ranjeeb, Programme Head Textile & Cotton

Sumitomo Corporation Asia Pte Ltd Mohammed Shofi Ullah, Manager, Accounts & Admin

Save the Children Md. Mostafijur Rahman, Manager (Advocacy & Communication)

Atik Anwar Chowdhury, Deputy Director, EYE Program,

Siddikur Rahman, Manager (EYE) Program

Md. Anisuzzaman, Manager (CSR)

SGS Bangladesh Limited Md. Golam Sarwar, Manager, Sales & Marketing – Consumer Testing Services

Md. Nurul Islam, Manager, Human Resources

Rajendran Ramasamy, Business Manager, Consumer Testing Services

Mohammad Jahangir Hossain, Deputy Manager, Consumer Testing Services – Social Responsibility Solution

Swiss Colours Bangladesh Limited Md. Habibur Rahman Sheikh, Area Sales Head

Sinha Fabrics Ltd. Arifur Rahman, D.G.M.- AC. FIN. COMM

Sainsbury’s Asia Ltd Mr. ALAM, Compliance Manager

Swiss Foundation for Technical Cooperation South Asia Regional Office (SARO) Parvez Mohammad Asheque, Senior Portfolio Manager

Swisscontact Mr. Dietschi Martin, Project Manager

Mr. Rahman, Deputy Project Manager, Supplier Qualification Project, Swisscontact

S.F Ahmed & co. Syed Feroze ahmed, Management consultant

SKYLAB LIMITED Jamal Uddin Sikder, Chief Operational Officer

42 43

Kausar Zaman Bappi, Managing Director

SMEC (Bangladesh) Limited Mehedi Hasan | Manager – Safeguard Services Group

Sadaf Trading International Md. Moniruzzaman, CEO

SRP Trading M. Sharif Ul Alam, Managing Director

Sinha Fabrics Ltd Tanveer Sinha (Managing Director)

Arifur Rahman( D.G.M-AC.FIN. COMM)

S. S. Solutions Pvt. Ltd. Ms. Sarazeen Kazi

South Asian Enterprise Syed Masroor Ahmed, CEO

SQUARE Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Fakhrul Hasan, Sr. Manager, HR

TTCHIBO Christine Schumacher, Country Manager

Victor Biswas, CR & Vendor Manager

Tesco Clothing Mrs. Luckman, Corporate Responsibility Manager

TÜV Rheinland Bangladesh PVT. Ltd. Muhammad Kamal Hussain, Laboratory Manager

Mahbubur Rashid Sadi, Manager- Business Development

Sanjib Chakrabartty, Asst. Manager (Inspection & Audit)

TOTALOFFTEC Kazi Mohammad Ariful Islam, Chief Executive Officer

Tootal Quality Resources Ltd Mohammad Kamruzzaman, Managing Director

Tullow Bangladesh Ltd Ataul Hoque, External Affairs & CSR Manager

UUniversity of Liberal Arts Bangladesh Jude William Genilo, Head, Media Studies & Journalism

Department

Sharif/Mohammed Rizwan, Senior Lecturer

Uttara Group Motiur Rahman, Chairman

Rajia Sultana Nilima (Utara Finance)

UL VS Bangladesh LTD Mohd Mamun Ar Rashid, Operations Manager

UNIDO Mr. John T. Smith, International Coordinator

Ms. Munira Rahman, National Coordinator-RMG

Mr. David Holborne

UNDP Robert Jukham, Deputy Country Director

VVSO Bangladesh Mr. Robin Ward, Water Engineer Advisor

Viyellatex Group Kaniz Fatema Zareen, Director

WWaterAid Bangladesh Mr. Shaikh/Partha Hefaz, Director - Policy and Advocacy

Mr. Rahman/ ASM Shafiqur, Communications Specialist

Mrs. Jahan, Director Programme

Mr. Yasin Kabir , Programme officer Engineer, Climate Change

WRAP Saifulla Khawaja, Country Manager

Z

ZXY International Chaminda Subasinghe, General Manager ( Quality & Compliance)

Documents

GSR Conference 2013 Detailed Report