Experts has stressed the need for Bangladesh to accelerate the transition towards low-carbon and sustainable buildings by drawing on global experience while developing solutions suited to the country’s own needs.

Speakers made the remarks at a technical seminar held on Thursday at the Public Works Department (PWD) in the capital, said a press release.

The Public Works Department (PWD), in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), jointly organised a technical seminar titled “Zero-Carbon Buildings: Current Approaches across the Global North and Global South” at the PWD Auditorium.

Organised under the initiative “Transforming the Built Environment through Sustainable Materials,” brought together policymakers, practitioners, academicians, and industry representatives to exchange knowledge on low-carbon building practices, sustainable materials, and whole-life carbon approaches with particular attention to their relevance for Bangladesh.

Globally, the buildings and construction sector accounts for nearly 40% of energy- and process-related CO₂ emissions. The seminar highlighted the critical need for stronger policies, sustainable construction materials, green procurement, and enhanced technical capacity to accelerate the sector’s transition toward net-zero pathways.

The event commenced with opening remarks by Khalequezzaman Choudhury, chief engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD), who welcomed the participants and highlighted the important role of institutions, both public and private, in advancing more sustainable and low-carbon approaches to the built environment.

The seminar featured two technical presentations. Dr Eshrar Latif, senior lecturer at the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University, delivered the keynote technical lecture, examining current approaches to zero-carbon buildings across the Global North and Global South.

His presentation explored the different pathways, opportunities and challenges facing developed and developing countries in transitioning towards zero-carbon buildings.

Prof Md Ashikur Rahman Joarder from the Department of Architecture at BUET, also a UNOPS technical expert, presented on “Bangladesh’s Journey Towards Nearly Zero Emissions Communities (neZECom): Sustainable Building Labelling Framework HBRI-DESH,” highlighting locally relevant approaches and frameworks for advancing sustainable and low-emission buildings in Bangladesh.

Delivering remarks on behalf of UNOPS Bangladesh, Namira Bosnjak, officer in charge and programme manager, emphasised the importance of international knowledge-sharing, and the importance of translating global experience into solutions appropriate to Bangladesh’s development context.

The discussion concluded with an interactive discussion and Q&A session, providing an opportunity for participants from public, private, and academic sectors to exchange views on sustainable materials, zero-carbon approaches and their practical application in Bangladesh.

The seminar forms part of a broader knowledge-sharing effort under the Transforming the Built Environment through Sustainable Materials initiative, which aims to promote sustainable materials, whole-life carbon approaches and capacity development in Bangladesh’s public construction sector.