North South University’s (NSU) Center for Climate Change and Disaster Resilience (CDR) organised a seminar titled “How Asia is leading the green transformation and how Bangladesh can benefit” on 8 February 2026 at the syndicate hall of North South University.

The seminar was attended by Erik Solheim, president of the Belt and Road Green Development Initiative and former Norwegian minister of environment and international development. Abdul Hannan Chowdhury, vice-chancellor of NSU, chaired the session. Nasar Uddin Ahmed, pro-vice chancellor of NSU, and Alex Wang, secretary general of the China–Bangladesh Partnership Forum, were also present. The session was moderated by Md Jakariya, director of the CDR centre at NSU.

During the event, NSU conferred on Solheim the title of honorary professor.

Solheim highlighted Bangladesh’s potential for sustainable growth, saying there are “immense opportunities” to invest in solar energy, electric vehicles, recycled-based products and land protection. He said these could create prospects for the government, civil society and businesses to position Bangladesh strongly in the coming decades.

Nasar Uddin Ahmed emphasised the need for stronger commitment to environmental policies, saying the challenge is often not a lack of solutions but a lack of commitment, as business influence can shape political decisions.

Abdul Hannan Chowdhury highlighted environmental challenges linked to rapid industrialisation, including pollution of rivers from industrial waste, and said large-scale projects and sustainable initiatives are needed to address the issues.

The seminar brought together academics, researchers and students, with discussions focusing on Asia’s leadership in green transformation and pathways for Bangladesh to advance its sustainable development goals.