Denmark ‘committed to supporting Bangladesh’s sustainable economic growth’

Denmark is committed to supporting Bangladesh’s sustainable economic growth, especially through partnerships in renewable energy, shipping and logistics, said Danish Ambassador to Bangladesh Christian Brix Moller.

“Bangladesh offers enormous untapped potential. But to realize that potential, foreign investors must be attracted by providing a favorable business environment,” the ambassador said during a panel session.

In celebration of UNESCO’s recognition of Copenhagen as the World Capital of Architecture, the Embassy of Denmark organized a three-day exhibition ending on Thursday (October 24) at Dhaka’s Edge Gallery.

This recognition was awarded because of Copenhagen’s strong heritage in architecture and innovative urban development, together with its high ambitions in the areas of climate, sustainable solutions and liveability.

The exhibition was accompanied by the embassy’s ‘Greener Partnerships’ knowledge networking event, which delved into the business and investment climate in ‘Bangladesh 2.0’; partnerships in the agricultural economy through efficient ways to reduce food loss; and the path forward to sustainable production.

The first panel session on Building Bangladesh 2.0 through Sustainable Investment featured speakers from Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Mærsk Group, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Copenhagen Offshore Partners.

In her keynote, Dr. Fahmida Khatun, Executive Director of CPD, emphasized the need for green entrepreneurship that is commercially viable, a sound plan for the phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies and the transition to an integrated development model driven by green investments.

A second panel session on sustainable food production and effective loss reduction with representatives from IFC, World Bank Group, Arla Foods Bangladesh, Square Group and the Embassy of Denmark identified ways to reduce food waste and loss through collaboration and awareness across the value chain.

The three-day event concluded with a third panel session on sustainable manufacturing to understand the current challenges in achieving global competitiveness for Bangladesh and how Denmark can help pave the way to a sustainable manufacturing hub.

The panel included industry experts from CPD, Better Work – ILO, Shasha Denims Limited, Auko-Tex Group and Bestseller.

Denmark is actively working with Bangladesh on innovative approaches to develop sustainable value chains, greener infrastructure, decarbonizing industry and accelerating the mobilization of new sustainable investments to develop modern technology and skills, the embassy said.

“The right combination of technologies, knowledge transfer and capacity building helps drive innovation. Denmark, a pioneer in green economic growth, is well positioned to become a knowledge partner for Bangladesh on its journey towards sustainability,” said Ali Butt, Head Trade at the Embassy of Denmark.