Bangladesh RMG industry a front-runner in sustainability: BGMEA

BGMEA Vice President Shahidullah Azim has said the RMG industry of Bangladesh envisions pursuing growth in a sustainable manner that takes care of people and the planet.

"The RMG industry of Bangladesh has many good stories in the area of sustainability which make us one of the front-runners in the marathon. Bangladesh boasts of having the highest number of green factories in the world, with 168 LEED Green factories certified by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), 50 of which are rated Platinum, with 550 more factories in the pipeline. Moreover, 40 out of the top 100 industrial projects in the world are established in Bangladesh," he said.

He made the remarks while speaking at a seminar titled "Manufacturing in Efficient & Sustainable Way" organised by Apna Organics Pvt Ltd in hotel Radisson Blu in Dhaka on Saturday (27 August), reads a press release.

Mohammad Hatem, executive president of BKMEA, Kazi Iftekhar Hossain, president of Bangladesh Garment Buying House Association (BGBA), Prasad Pant, South-Asia director of ZDHC, Engr Md Shafiqur Rahman, president of the Institution of Textile Engineers and Technologists, (ITET) and Abrar H Sayem, president, Bangladesh Apparel Youth Leaders Association (BAYLA) also attended the seminar.

In his speech Shahidullah Azim said, at present sustainability has become a core area of concern in the global business landscape and a major demographic of the global consumer is concerned about sustainable consumption and production, especially the environmental footprint of the product they buy. 

BGMEA has proactively taken the issue of sustainability at the core of its strategic vision, he added.

BGMEA, among many other steps, has signed the UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, an initiative of UNFCCC, to commit to the goal of reducing 30% of GHG emissions by 2030, the release adds.

BGMEA, in partnership with the Global Fashion Agenda, has initiated the Circular Fashion Partnership, which is a cross-sectional partnership to achieve a long-term, scalable transition to circular fashion, which will help close the material loop.