SMEP Projects: Spotlight on Bangladesh The Peoples’ Republic of Bangladesh is a target country within the SMEP Programme. In 2023, Bangladesh became the fastest-growing economy in the world, with a 7% average GDP growth over the past decade. Today, the country is the second-largest exporter of ready-made garments in the world, with the industry constituting […]
SMEP Projects: Spotlight on Bangladesh Read More »
In South Asia, the urgent need for affordable mobility has led to a rapid embrace of e-mobility, but often with regrettable technology choices like lead-acid batteries (LABs) used in electric 3-wheelers. This report explores the challenges associated with LABs as well as potential solutions to managing these in Bangladesh.
Battery Value Chains: The challenges for e-mobility in South Asia Read More »
Invented more than 160 years ago, lead-acid batteries, which are reliable and cheap, are still the most widely used rechargeable batteries despite containing toxic lead. The UNCTAD Weekly Tradecast looks at lead-acid batteries and why they remain so popular despite the world moving towards greener energy with UN Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) Henrique Pacini.
Poisoned power: Why lead-acid batteries need a cleaner and greener alternative Read More »
Dr Amrita Kundu and Ms Michelle Wilson, who are leading funded projects under the SMEP programme, attended the 14th session of the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Commission in Geneva on the 25th April 2024. They provided insight into the scale, scope, and dynamics of illicit trade flows in solid waste
Illicit Trade in Waste: Bridging the Gaps between Policy and Practice Read More »
A successful stakeholder workshop was held in Dhaka with key partners to discuss policy levers to address the. health impacts of used lead acid batteries, informed by the recently released policy review entitled, ‘Unified Policies, Healthier Journeys: Addressing the Used-Lead-Acid-Battery challenge in Bangladesh.”
Pure Earth, working in close collaboration with Georgetown University, is contracted to develop business models and policy interventions to deduce informal recycling of lead acid batteries in Bangladesh.
Manufacturing pollution in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia Implications for the environment, health and future work A scoping study was commissioned by the SMEP programme at the inception of the initiative to lay the foundational base for understanding the consequences of environmental degradation caused by manufacturing industries in these two regions. Despite acknowledging limitations in
As part of the SMEP prioritisation work for South Asia, Pure Earth presented high-priority interventions/solutions to reduce environmental impacts and human health exposure from lead contamination from the Tanneries and Used Lead-Acid Batteries (ULAB) sectors in Bangladesh.
Manufacturing Pollution Synopsis Series 1: Country and Sector Priorities Read More »