Bangladesh hosts first-ever ESG Excellence Awards; honours 32 firms, 3 leaders

The first ESG Excellence Awards, jointly organized by UN Global Compact Network Bangladesh and ESG Institute Bangladesh and powered by Shwapno, recognized 32 companies and three individuals for their demonstrated environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance.

The ceremony took place on Saturday at La Vita Hall, Lakeshore Grand in Gulshan, in the presence of business leaders and representatives from regulatory bodies, financial institutions and the diplomatic community.

Awards were presented in 20 categories, including energy transition, water stewardship, carbon emissions control, occupational health and safety, worker wellbeing, skills development, gender equity, supply chain management, sustainability reporting, and product and digital innovation.

The companies recognized were Envoy Textiles, Q Collection, Urmi Group, Masco Group, Fakir Fashion, Vintage Denim, Palmal Group, Energypac Fashions, Classical Handmade Products, Grameenphone, Robi Axiata, Banglalink, bKash, ACI Logistics (Shwapno), Coca-Cola Bangladesh, Bata Bangladesh, Reckitt Benckiser, City Bank, IPDC Finance, Green Delta Insurance, BSRM Group, Walton Hi-Tech, Berger Paints, LafargeHolcim Bangladesh, DBL Ceramics, Akij Group, Dutch-Bangla Pack, Rancon Infrastructures, Nutan Bidyut, SQUARE Pharmaceuticals, Labaid Cancer Hospital and Syngenta Bangladesh.

Abdul Awal Mintoo, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, attended the event as the chief guest, along with representatives of the Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, the Embassies of Denmark and Sweden, and the Australian High Commission, who presented the awards alongside the organizers.

The Minister said meaningful progress on Bangladesh's climate ambitions would take place on factory floors and in boardrooms. Representatives of the diplomatic missions emphasized the value of independent recognition for measurable ESG performance.