Climate change, women and renewable energy transition in Bangladesh

Recently I joined an event in Dhaka on advancing a just and gender-responsive renewable energy transition in Bangladesh. Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) organized it. I was enriched learning many issues from the experts and discussants.

The concept note of Manusher Jonno Foundation mentioned, “Bangladesh stands at a significant moment in its energy transition. As the country expands renewable energy and pursues low-carbon pathways, questions of equity, inclusion, and justice are becoming increasingly central. Yet policy discussions continue to priorities technology, finance, and infrastructure, often overlooking the social dimensions of energy transition; particularly the roles, voices, leadership of women and young people. Women, especially those from grassroots and climate-vulnerable communities, are already deeply engaged as energy users, managers, innovators, and advocates. Young people are also emerging as strong voices for climate justice and sustainable energy futures. Despite this, their lived experiences, priorities, and locally grounded solutions rarely influence policy debates or private-sector decision making processes.”

In fact, the renewable energy sector is a technical area, and it is also a rapidly growing market. Women-owned businesses can provide, install, and maintain solar home systems, biogas plants, and mini-grids. With microfinance and business skills, these businesses can provide jobs and boost local economies while helping to address climate change.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), women constitute only about 32 percent of the total global workforce in the renewable energy sector. It is even lower representation in technical and decision-making positions. Bangladesh, despite its positive growth in the energy sector, has fallen short in ensuring maximum women’s participation.

Only about 9% of corporate management board seats in clean energy are held by women. However, systemic barriers persist. While renewables offer immense potential for economic empowerment through localized energy access, women remain significantly underrepresented in high-level leadership, technical roles, and energy policy development.

SOUTH ASIAN PERSPECTIVES

In many developing regions including rural areas of Bangladesh and South Asia, women are primarily responsible for household energy use and cooking, which often involves hazardous biomass fuels. They frequently excel as entrepreneurs and technicians in last-mile delivery, sales, and installation of solar home systems. Embedding renewable energy access with direct financial resource support and skills training can unlock massive socioeconomic benefits, adding trillions to developing economies.

The energy sector has historically been gender-blind in Asian countries and Global South. Climate change is not gender neutral, and effectively addressing it must consider the gender differentiated impacts.

Bangladesh is one of the countries, most vulnerable to climate change and faces severe and increasing risks, resulting in widespread climate migration. However, the gendered impacts are under researched and lacking comprehensive data. So we should work to address this gap by generating data specifically focused on women’s experiences with climate migration.

UN WOMEN’s report

The State of Gender Equality and Climate Change in Bangladesh provided country-specific recommendations on enhancing gender responsive policy implementation and actions to further augment the integration of gender equality in climate relevant policy areas.

Climate change disproportionately affects women in Bangladesh due to rigid gender roles and entrenched socio-economic inequalities. While the country aims to significantly boost its renewable energy capacity by 2040, the transition currently lacks equitable gender inclusion, with women making up just 10% of the clean energy workforce.

Women in climate-vulnerable regions such as coastal belts face heightened risks of displacement, loss of livelihood, and increased unpaid labor like fetching water during floods.

World Bank’s report narrated, in the domestic sphere, women bear the brunt of energy poverty and shortages, yet they are typically excluded from technological decision-making and entrepreneurship within the renewable sector.

Women in rural and climate-distressed districts continue to encounter structural barriers such as difficulty accessing low-interest credit and restrictive social norms, which stifle green entrepreneurship.

As Bangladesh slowly advances towards clean and sustainable energy, the transition is not only about cutting carbon emissions. It is also about exploring new avenues for job creation, economic growth, and a fairer and more equal society. And for this to be successful, women must be at the center of it.

Dilruba Akter, deputy director, Department of Environment (DoE), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), said, “Bangladesh’s NDC targets prioritized the energy sector, which contributes 48.8% of national greenhouse gas emissions. Department of Environment acts as a reporting authority under MoEFCC, not as a policy-formulating body. Sector-specific projects, conditional, or unconditional, are implemented with technical and financial support, guided by UNFCCC and IPCC standards.”

She further said, “Energy auditing, efficiency improvements, and training programs for energy managers have been introduced to reduce industrial energy and resource consumption. Industries are encouraged to adopt sustainable practices, including waste, water, and zero-discharge management, aligning production with carbon border adjustment and green finance mechanisms. DOE facilitates awareness, compliance, and transparent reporting to meet global climate obligations,” Dilruba concluded.

Bangladesh has pledged to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 5 on gender equality, SDG 7 on universal and clean energy, SDG 8 on decent work, SDG 10 on reduced inequalities, and SDG 13 on climate action. All these goals are interlinked, and achieving one goal helps to advance another.

[Parvez Babul is an award-winning climate change, health, environment journalist, columnist and researcher.]