The South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM) has long been at the forefront of advancing evidence-based policy research in Bangladesh and across South Asia. Over the years, SANEM has built a strong reputation for rigorous analytical work on poverty, inequality, trade, labour markets, and development planning. As part of its institutional structure, SANEM established the SDG Centre and the Impact Assessment Centre to support SDG-related research and dialogue, and to conduct evidence-based evaluations. This reflects SANEM’s strong commitment to sustainability and inclusive development, with each Centre focusing on distinct but complementary areas of research and policy engagement.
The SANEM Sustainability Centre emerges through the strategic merger of these two initiatives, creating a unified, multidisciplinary hub to address the complex and interdependent challenges of sustainable development. By bringing together the strengths and resources of both Centres, the new entity aims to deliver integrated analysis, capacity building, and policy support across a broad spectrum of sustainability issues. The Centre will focus particularly on emerging priorities such as Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards and Responsible Business Conduct (RBC), ensuring that SANEM’s work remains relevant to both national development frameworks and international sustainability benchmarks.
In addition to producing high-quality research, the Sustainability Centre will serve as a catalyst for systemic change by engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including government agencies, the private sector, development partners, research organizations, and civil society organizations. It will offer tools such as the “Sustainability Tracker” dashboard, convene multi-stakeholder dialogues, and deliver tailored training programs to enhance institutional capacity. Through this integrated approach, the Centre aims to contribute to the development of more coherent and accountable policy processes, support evidence-based corporate practices, and ultimately help advance Bangladesh’s progress toward a more just, inclusive, and sustainable future.
What We Aim to Do
SDG and Development Plan Monitoring:
Tracking progress against global goals and national development frameworks.
ESG and RBC Research:
Generating insights on corporate sustainability, ethical supply chains, labor standards, and governance practices.
Impact Assessment:
Evaluating development interventions, policies, and private sector practices through rigorous methodologies.
Knowledge Generation and Dissemination:
Publishing working papers, policy briefs, thematic reports, and data dashboards.
Capacity Building:
Training government officials, researchers, businesses, development practitioners, and civil society actors in tools and frameworks related to ESG, RBC, and sustainability evaluation.
Policy and Stakeholder Engagement:
Hosting dialogues and consultations that link evidence to actionable policy and business reforms.
