South Asia Forum

Following regional updates from ETI Bangladesh and ETI India colleagues covering the South Asia Region, the Forum will move into a panel discussion exploring the following question:

How to include worker voices in a changing climate? Lessons from Bangladesh.

Climate change is reshaping working conditions and business operations across South Asia. As factories adapt to rising temperatures and other climate-related challenges, how can workers be meaningfully involved in identifying risks and shaping solutions?

This South Asia Forum will explore how social dialogue can help workers, suppliers and brands navigate climate-related change together. Drawing on experiences from Bangladesh, the session will share lessons from the Advanced Green Social Dialogue Programme and the Worker CAN project, both of which seek to strengthen worker-led and gender-responsive climate action in the garment sector. We will explore practical examples of worker participation, from addressing heat stress to strengthening workplace dialogue and collective bargaining.

A panel of representatives from suppliers, brands and civil society will discuss what meaningful worker engagement looks like in practice, and how factory-level experiences can contribute to broader industry change.

The session will explore:

• How climate change is affecting workers and factories in South Asia
• How workers can help identify risks and develop solutions
• What meaningful social dialogue looks like at factory level
• How brands can support suppliers in addressing climate-related challenges
• Lessons from factory initiatives and collective bargaining agreements
• How workplace experiences can contribute to broader industry change

Target group

Member companies in the textile industry. 

Participation fee and registration terms
Free of charge, for members only. Cancellations made later than 48 hours before the start of the event, or no-shows, will incur a fee of NOK 650. This fee covers costs related to planning and preparation, as well as consideration for speakers who have set aside time and prepared specifically for the event.