Swisscontact, BRAC University host ESG event to build sustainability skills

Swisscontact Bangladesh and BRAC University jointly organised an event on “Strengthening Local Capacity for Sustainable Industry” at the university campus.

The programme brought together around 80 participants from industry, academia and development organisations, according to a press release.

The event presented findings from an ESG needs assessment and recognised participants of a professional certificate course on ESG.

The initiative was organised under Swisscontact’s PROGRESS programme, supported by the embassies of Sweden and Switzerland.

Ariful Islam, treasurer of BRAC University, delivered the welcome address.

The ESG needs assessment, conducted by BRAC University, surveyed 106 professionals from sectors including garments, textiles, banking and manufacturing.

The findings showed growing awareness of ESG, with 79 percent of respondents reporting moderate familiarity, but identified gaps in areas such as reporting, carbon accounting, governance and risk assessment.

More than 90 percent of respondents said ESG certification is relevant to their work, while 98 percent linked ESG practices to organisational performance.

A 60-hour professional certificate course on ESG was developed and delivered by BRAC University, combining theoretical instruction and practical learning.

The course was facilitated by Professor Shahidur Rahman, Professor Syed A Mamun, Kazy Mohammad Iqbal Hossain, Mohammad Monower Hossain, ABM Faqrul Alam, Molla Karimul Islam and Anna-Karin Dhalberge.

Kazy Mohammad Iqbal Hossain said, “The purpose of the course is to build professional capacity to understand, apply and lead ESG integration. Students were introduced to key global frameworks such as GRI, ISSB, materiality, and double materiality. While they had limited understanding of ESG at the beginning, by the end of the course they were able to develop complete sustainability reports and present their capstone projects.”

Ikramul H Sohel, senior programme officer for inclusive economic development at the Embassy of Sweden in Dhaka, said, “Sustainability is no longer an option; it is a necessity. This initiative brings together three key stakeholders, industry, academia, and development partners, to collaboratively build a pool of ESG professionals for a greener Bangladesh and, ultimately, a better world. The Embassy of Sweden is proud to support this effort, contributing to a more sustainable and resilient future.”

Farzana Amin, team leader of the PROGRESS project at Swisscontact Bangladesh, said, “We are working to meet the future demand for sustainability professionals and encourage graduates to actively apply these practices within their respective fields. Over time, this will contribute to building a strong local talent pool and reduce dependence on international expertise.”

The programme concluded with a certificate ceremony recognising 24 participants from the first cohort.