Business school to gauge corporate attitudes to climate change in Bangladesh
ASTON Business School has started a three-year research project to gauge corporate attitudes to climate change in Bangladesh.
British Council and the International Strategic Partnership in Research and Education Scheme (INSPIRE) have funded the research led by Aston University and Bangladesh’s Dhaka University.
The research aims to increase awareness amongst Bangladeshi corporate managers on the importance of climate change and influence the future corporate social responsibility policy of the Bangladeshi government.
Bangladesh, a low lying country with a vast coastline, could see large areas of land go under water as sea levels continue to rise, potentially displacing millions of people. The impact of higher temperatures and extreme weather events is already evident in Bangladesh and is expected to intensify.
Results from the first stage of the study concluded that only 10% of companies identified climate change as an important factor that may affect future business decisions. Just 5% of companies disclosed that they had an effluent treatment plant (ETP) despite this being mandatory in Bangladesh.
ETPs are being implemented across Bangladesh as a mechanism to treat wastewater that has been contaminated by commercial activities prior to its release into the environment or its re-use. Further stages of the project will analyse the views of both corporate managers and stakeholders.
Key researchers from Dhaka University, Prof Taiabur Rahman and Dr Mohobbot Ali, visited Aston University last month to discuss the study’s progress.
Dr Ataur Rahman Belal, a finance and accounting lecturer at Aston Business School who is leading the project, said: “It is an excellent research collaboration between Aston Business School and Dhaka University. For the first time in Bangladesh, the project will examine corporate responses to the critical issue of climate change.
“It is expected that this project will lead to further collaborations with Dhaka University and we are pleased to have them as our research partner in this project.”
