Enhancement of Eco-production Capacity in Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ), Bangladesh, Employing Korean EIP Transition Strategy

Abstract

In many developing countries, industrial zones have played a central role in fostering industrial development. However, they were also the major contributors of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This implies that industrial zones can be platforms to reduce GHG emissions in industrial sectors which enable green growth and support low-carbon economies. Eco-industrial parks (EIPs) could be one of such platforms to realize low-carbon development through the introduction of the IS concept. Governments like the Republic of Korea have been successful in transforming the traditional industrial parks to EIPs by the national initiatives since 2005. The IFC, World Bank, has initiated Low-Carbon Zone Project in Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ), Bangladesh, by employing diverse tools and methodologies, including Korean industrial symbiosis (IS) experiences. The potential IS opportunities in CEPZ were identified by analyzing the demand for energy in particular steam and electricity and exploring potential symbiotic networks based on the energy production and consumption survey and analysis by both top-down and bottom-up approaches. For the proposed symbiosis networks to be implemented in a fast, durable, and resilient manner in Bangladesh, right policy and regulatory framework, targeted mitigation activities, as well as awareness campaign and knowledge-sharing were recommended.