Bangladesh's NDC 3.0 earns spot on ILO Just Transition platform

Bangladesh has received international recognition for incorporating employment and social protection considerations into its climate agenda, after its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 3.0 was featured on the International Labour Organization's (ILO) newly launched Just Transition Policy Gateway.

The inclusion places Bangladesh among a group of countries including South Africa, Mexico and Iraq whose climate plans have been recognised for integrating just transition principles, the Climate Watch reported today (14 June).

Bangladesh's NDC 3.0 contains a dedicated chapter focusing on decent work, green skills and social inclusion in the transition to a low-carbon economy.

According to officials, the recognition reflects years of collaboration among the government, employers and workers' representatives. 

Efforts such as the National Just Transition Academy, the Dhaka Declaration and consultations led by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change contributed to the process.

They said Bangladesh's experience mirrors a growing global emphasis on aligning climate commitments with employment generation, workforce development and social protection measures.

The Just Transition Policy Gateway was launched at the ILO headquarters in Geneva on 11 June as a global platform intended to help countries develop fair and inclusive climate transition policies.

The initiative was mandated by the ILO Governing Body in 2023 and formally introduced during a ministerial meeting of the International Advisory Board of the Global Coalition for Social Justice.

Supported by Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the platform aims to place social justice and decent work at the centre of climate action strategies.

The ILO says the gateway is designed to help countries turn climate pledges into practical outcomes by promoting jobs, skills development and social protection while ensuring that workers and communities are not left behind during the transition to low-carbon economies.

At the launch event, ILO Director-General Gilbert F Houngbo emphasised that social and economic dimensions are essential to climate transitions and called for people-centred approaches to policymaking.

Barbados Labour Minister Colin Jordan highlighted the value of countries learning from one another's experiences, including both achievements and challenges.

Germany's State Secretary for Labour and Social Affairs Lilian Tschan said successful structural transformation depends on putting people first, adding that the gateway combines policy exchange with practical support tailored to national circumstances.

Representatives from labour and employer organisations also stressed broader participation in just transition efforts. 

The Employers' Federation of Pakistan advocated greater employer engagement, while the Nigeria Labour Congress encouraged governments, businesses and trade unions to use the platform to strengthen networks and share knowledge.

Officials said one of the platform's distinguishing features is its integrated policy framework that brings together employment, enterprise development, skills, social protection and environmental sustainability.

Developed jointly by the ILO and the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITCILO) with BMZ support, the initiative is expected to assist at least 10 countries by 2028 in advancing national just transition policies through stronger tripartite dialogue.

The gateway also supports the Global Coalition for Social Justice and builds on commitments made under the call to action on social dialogue launched at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference in 2024.

According to Climate Watch, just transition principles are becoming increasingly common in global climate policy, with nearly 79% of NDCs now incorporating such elements.

For Bangladesh, participation in the Gateway is expected to bolster work on implementing its NDC, particularly in areas such as green skills training, social protection and support for workers in sectors vulnerable to climate change.

Mohammad Navid Safiullah, additional secretary of the Climate Change Wing at Bangladesh's Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said just transition is "not only an environmental agenda but a broader economic and social transformation requiring coordinated national action."

Officials said the coming years will be critical in turning this international recognition into concrete policies that benefit workers, industries and vulnerable communities across Bangladesh.