The solar energy sector in Bangladesh has the ability to strengthen the national economy and increase employment. Along the whole value chain, from installation and manufacture to operation and maintenance, solar systems generate jobs that lower poverty and promote socioeconomic development.
The same was said by speakers during the panel discussion titled “The Green Revolution: Exploring Investment Avenues in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency for Bangladesh,” which took place during the two-day 24th National Renewable Energy Conference and Green Expo 2024.
The 24th National Renewable Energy Conference and Green Expo was co-hosted by the Dhaka University Institute of Energy and the Green Tech Foundation, with support from USAID, SREDA, IDCOL, and BSREA.
Shayan Shafi, the head of USAID Bangladesh’s energy team, gave a welcome address before keynote speaker Shafiqul Alam, chief energy analyst at IEEFA, spoke during the panel discussion. The chief of the party for the USAID-Bangladesh Advancing Development and Growth through Energy (BADGE) Project, Abdel Kader Ed ElRahal, moderated this session.
The panelists were Mr. Enamul Karim, Head of the Renewable Energy Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL); Siddique Zobair; Nirod Chandra Mondal, Joint Secretary, Renewable Energy, Power Division; and Muhammad Hossain, DG, Power Cell, Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources.
The conference’s main topic was how to take advantage of global climate investment and financial opportunities to grow Bangladesh’s renewable energy sector.
Bangladesh must give priority to achieving these objectives in order to increase its energy security, reduce its carbon emissions, and foster economic growth through sustainable practices.
The major objectives of the panel discussion were to highlight financial systems, encourage collaboration, showcase innovations, and advance policy discourse.
