The climate crisis is already reshaping garment-producing regions. In Dhaka, one pregnant worker reported that several people faint daily in the hot season (My Body is Burning). In Bangladesh alone, climate impacts have displaced 36% of garment workers, with heat stress driving rising absenteeism and a 6% production drop, hitting women hardest (Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies).
Yet none of the 65 major brands reviewed by Business and Human Rights Resource Centre have explicit ESG targets to protect workers from extreme heat or address the impact of climate change on labour. Most supply chain risk modelling has yet to fully recognise the lived experience of at-risk communities at the base of global supply chains, continuing to treat climate change as an operational issue. But as the ILR’s Higher Ground report demonstrated, aligning climate ambition with worker protection is essential for both moral responsibility and resilient, functioning supply chains.
Our panel will discuss how far we’ve come and what still needs to be done on topics including:
- A just transition – what does this mean in practice?
- How to integrate worker voices, particularly women’s, into climate planning
- What is the role of data for real-time assessment of climate risks to at-risk communities?
- Case studies of initiatives that practically alleviate the impact of climate change on workers and their families
What to expect from this type of session...
Main stage sessions, but not as you know them. Because we’re off-the-record, leading experts can speak candidly about their experience with what works, and what doesn’t. At least half the session is dedicated to audience insights and questions to ensure we tackle the big issues head on.
