DHAKA: IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is partnering with two global leading apparel companies BestSeller and GAP Inc. to catalyze the uptake of sustainable industrial practices in their supplier factories in Bangladesh.
The project will be carried out by IFC’s Bangladesh Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT) program. These two Brands join eight other Brands in the PaCT family bringing the total to 10, says a press release on Thursday (June 30).
The textile industry is a significant contributor to Bangladesh’s economy with export earnings accounting for more than 80% of the total earning, and the sector providing job security to more than 4 million people, mostly women.
If Bangladesh is to reach its strategic target of $50 billion in RMG export by 2021, this would result in an additional water demand of over 3,400 billion liters by 2030 which is equivalent to the annual water needs of a population of approximately 75 million people.
The implementation of cleaner production measures will positively impact the overall costs of water supply and pollution control. For example, simple and low cost measures could reduce water use by up to 20% and lower future infrastructure investment and operational expenditure by up to $650 million per annum compared to the business as usual scenario.
‘With Bangladesh’s increasing endeavor for a bigger share of the global textile export earnings, the local textile sector is poised to demand increased access to sustainable energy and water use practices,’ says PaCT Program Manager, Mohan Seneviratne.
‘The PaCT program stands to support textile factories in Bangladesh by introducing resource efficiency best practices and promoting doing more with less - the most cost effective way to reach resource sustainability,’ the program manager added.
The program has existing partnership with 8 other international apparel companies - C&A, H&M, Inditex, G-Star Raw, Kappahl, Lindex, Primark and Tesco.
Aspart of this engagement, PaCT will lead the design and implementation of Cleaner Production (CP) program in the factories nominated by the Brands. Major activities will include conducting Basic Cleaner Production and Deep Dive assessments, and implementation assistance to identify opportunities to improve resource (water, energy, and chemicals) efficiency in the factories.
In addition, PaCT will provide technical support to integrate a management diagnostic tool, PaCT Advantage, within the nominated factories’ CP processes, and facilitate access to quality and reliable information on resource efficient technologies and solution providers through the Textile Technology Business Center (TTBC).
The partnership will thus help the nominated factories to increase efficiency in resource uses and gain sustainability in their businesses.
BestSeller and GAP Inc. procure stitched garments from supplier factories in Bangladesh. Both these brands are highly focused on sustainability, working their ways to reduce the environmental footprints of their supplier factories in the textile sector.
About Bangladesh PaCT: Bangladesh PaCT is working to provide advisory services to enhance the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of the textile wet processing sector in Bangladesh.
Managed by IFC’s South Asia Advisory Services Department, the overall goal of the program is to reduce the environmental and social impacts of the textile wet processing sector by promoting best practices within and beyond the factory gates. For more information on the program, visit www.textilepact.net.
BDST: 1647 HRS, JUN 30, 2016
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