And the best business award for climate change goes to....?

Who doesn’t like to get awards? Not everyone wants to do an Aamir Khan act, where the Indian actor is famous (or infamous) for his defiance stance against Bollywood awards. Going against the wind can be a good idea for a celebrity to get noticed and create headlines. But when it comes to businesses, may be not everybody wants to take a chance to challenge business awards, especially if they are coming your way for innovative new issues and sometimes backed with financial or reputational gains. The Daily Star and the HSBC Bank in Bangladesh have been pioneers to apply the ‘awards strategy’ not only to champion current causes but also to embolden their brand images in the same push. The leading English daily of the country is already tied up with the annual business awards jointly sponsored with DHL whereas HSBC is also knows to be involved in various entrepreneurship development related projects, among other social projects.

The dynamic duo were certainly quick to spot the next best buzzword to spread in the Bangladeshi corporates. After squeezing a lot of lemon out of corporate social responsibility, make way for 'climate change' my friends. The Daily Star and the HSBC Bank recently announced climate awards in four categories with an objective to encourage individuals and institutions working to face the challenges of climate change. Certainly it’s a good thing to raise awareness about climate change and the risk it poses to Bangladesh being the most vulnerable country in this case. It also goes without saying that Bangladeshi businesses have an important role to play to increase awareness and also to do business in a climate-friendly way. Consequently there is no harm in recognising and awarding the champion businesses who lead with examples in relation to climate change threat to Bangladesh. HSBC is also calling itself the ‘first carbon neutral bank’, only God and Sanjay Prakash know what this means but I reckon one of the upcoming trendy jargons to use in relation to climate change following ‘carbon footprints’, ‘green entrepreneurship’ and the likes.

From a different perspective, if Bangladesh is like a sinking boat due to the threats of climate change, the Daily Star and HSBC are planning to award businesses who do less damage to the already sinking boat. An award for those businesses and individuals in Bangladesh who are not increasing the size of the deadly hole under the Bangla boat by means of doing business ‘dangerously’ in a way which may aggravate the climate threats. What I don’t understand is if we as a country are in the receiving end of the catastrophic consequences of climate change, then what is the point of giving awards only to businesses which are in Bangladesh? Our businesses are not responsible to bring about this worst kind of threat to our country, then why should all the rules and regulations in terms of climate protection and responsible business apply to our brands? Can we expect HSBC and Daily Star to continue this award may be under water in Bay of Bengal in 2030? Or they can try that may be this year to ‘raise awareness’ around the world, similar stunts were carried out by the aqua-friendly Maldivian government officials lately.

I recommend giving awards to western businesses who need to be encouraged by the HSBC and Daily Star for their adherence to protecting the climate through their business functions. Why can’t they lure global climate culprits like BP with this award? Why can’t we, as the most vulnerable country affected by climate change, start giving awards to foreign companies who should sort out their business acts first which are the main reasons for the global warming, rising tidal waves and changing temperatures? I think its high time that along with taming our home businesses concerning climate change, we also should bring to books, through awards or op-eds or campaigns – the foreign businesses which need to make their business processes ‘climate friendly’ first. Sanjay please pass this message to your foreign bosses.

Strategic migration for Bangladeshi climate refugees

So we have got another great opportunity to get some more funds now! This time its under the guise of the hottest topic on earth--Climate Change. Bangladesh has sought 5 billion US dollars from the developed countries in compensation as an affected country due to climate change caused by global warming. Read here to know more.

I would rather not talk about foreign direct investments or development funds that have been arriving to the country since independence. We all are pretty much aware how much of that inbound foreign currency, grant, aid, fund (whatever you call it) have been channelled to build religious establishments, fill up personal pockets of corrupt politicians and bureaucreats and how much of that have exactly been applied to achieve mass development objectives. I am sure getting fresh funds from developed nations would help to a great extent in building dams for protection against rising sea level or for increased forestation etc. But is it not obvious that its a competition against nature at its worst case? How much fund do we need to stop the fury and whims of mother nature from being unleashed on our naturally vulnerable piece of land?

Certainly the big brothers around and away have contributed a lot to the overall deterioration in the climate change status, but lets not forget the mindless urban planning (or no planning) and lack of environmental laws and their implementation which are any ways so rampant all around Bangladesh. Unless we take care of our own backyard first and foremost, no amount of fund will be able to stop the ever increasing leak in our ship. Moreover, we are not very sure about our captains at helm, its very likely that with these funds to fight climate change, they will fight personal 'poverty' and safeguard their own future...by sending their offsprings to 'safer' locations abroad for study and settlement. To wash off the lifelong accummulated sins, they might however establish a three star mosque or madrasa somewhere in their native village. As they make merry with the fresh funds yet again, the whole country would keep on waking up with unexpected earth-quakes, more frequent thunderstorms, colder and shorter winter and hotter and longer summers. Who cares?


I mentioned something called 'Strategic migration' in one of my earlier posts. A visitor jokingly also argued that what else to expect from a business graduate of strategic management (that is me). I think its time again that we revive this concept and find out how we can link the concept of climate refugees and Bangladeshi export-ready manpower to 'strategic migration'. The claim is simple. We do want free money...as compensation..or fresh funds..whatever you call it. However, I am sick and tired of getting free alms which almost always go down the drain (or personal pockets and fortunes). Let the deal be fair.....we will train our manpower to serve your foreign labor markets, we will take care of all legal and social coverage issues...in return we demand preference in overseas recruitment selection and eventual settlement in foreign territories, provided the incumbent meets criteria set and agreed by host and source countries. The idea is to convert potential climate refugees from burden to skilled workforce and help them get (either local) job assignments in countries which are held culprit for the climate change fiasco. In other words, if a time arises that 5,000 people are displaced due to rising tidal waves in Satkhira district, they need to be labelled formally as 'climate refugees' first. These people are free to move to higher lands or even to capital to seek for security of life and food. They need to be trained and made export ready to countries which are primarily responsible for global warming.However I am aware of the fact that many of our creative countrymen would be up and running to label themselves in unthinkable ways as 'climate refugee's to get a passport out of the sinking delta. I am afraid of our own spoilsports.


However all this sounds a bit like fairytale and as if I am on drugs right? Well, atleast no more fairytales from politicians. Lets plan something which is sustainable and linked to local context. Instead of being wary of a half sunk Bangladesh and 150 million plus people crammed in the northern highlands of the country, lets think of ways how we can ride the right wave to strategically migrate some semi-skilled, skilled climate refugees outside Bangladesh.