Dhaka: Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan today stressed the reimagination of corporate roles in environmental protection. She said safeguarding environmental rights is a collective responsibility for governments, businesses, civil society, and communities. Joining virtually from her residence in Dhaka, the adviser delivered her speech at the Opening Plenary of the Corporate Sustainability and Environmental Rights in Asia Conference at the UN Conference Centre in Bangkok. The theme of the conference is “The Right to a Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Environment: Redefining Corporate Engagement.”
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Rizwana underscored the necessity of strong legal frameworks, highlighting that while some countries recognize environmental rights through judicial interpretation, many still lack explicit constitutional provisions. She stated, “This must change,” emphasizing that an overly anthropocentric approach risks neglecting biodiversity. Rizwana advocated for legal frameworks grounded in sustainable development, the precautionary principle, the polluter-pays principle, and due diligence.
Rizwana criticized the double standards in environmental regulations, pointing out the stringent conditions imposed on developing countries’ exports while lax standards govern imports from developed nations. She highlighted issues in the shipbreaking industry’s hazardous waste transfers and the disparity in air pollution standards. “The lungs of a Western citizen are no different from the lungs of a Bangladeshi citizen,” she noted.
Addressing corporate social responsibility (CSR), Rizwana argued that voluntary CSR principles are insufficient and should be legally binding to ensure true corporate accountability. She called upon states to incorporate key environmental principles into enforceable laws, ensuring that businesses cannot sidestep responsibility.
Focusing on transparency, public participation, and access to justice, Rizwana stressed the need for laws ensuring public access to environmental information. She cited that while some nations have Right to Information Acts, many exclude corporate environmental data, limiting communities’ ability to assess business impacts. She urged governments to foster public participation in decision-making and protect environmental defenders rather than stifling activism under restrictive regulations.
Rizwana emphasized the need for strengthening environmental tribunals and learning from successful legal models worldwide. In Bangladesh, she noted, community engagement has led to legal action against corporations for environmental violations. She emphasized that corporate responsibility must begin with preventive action rather than damage control, advocating for compensation funds dedicated to ecological restoration.
Warning against corporate “greenwashing,” Rizwana urged governments, businesses, and communities to ensure that sustainability certifications are credible. She highlighted corporate control over media narratives, cautioning against misinformation that undermines environmental activism.
The adviser stressed the role of environmental education in fostering responsible societies. “Children who grow up with environmental awareness will ensure corporate accountability,” she stated. Rizwana concluded by asserting that neither governments nor corporations have the right to destroy nature. “If you cannot create an ocean, a forest, or a mountain, you have no right to destroy those,” she added.