3rd Sustainable Apparel Forum commence on 10 May in Dhaka

Policymakers and readymade garment industry stakeholders from home and abroad are gathering in Dhaka on 10 May for the third edition of the Sustainable Apparel Forum to be organised by Bangladesh Apparel Exchange partnering with Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

The main objective of the SAF is to accelerate the momentum of sustainability in the Bangladesh apparel industry, a media release said Wednesday.

More than 50 speakers as well as 20 green growth exhibitors from over 20 countries are expected to participate in this year's SAF.  

Current important apparel sustainability issues such as climate action, environmental social and governance and green finance, purchasing practices, due diligence and legislation, and circular economy will be discussed during the five plenary sessions along with the opening and closing plenaries of the 3rd SAF.

Founder and CEO of Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE) Mostafiz Uddin said: "This year's SAF is bringing all the fashion stakeholders under one roof to accelerate the momentum of sustainability in the Bangladesh apparel industry, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic which has had an immense impact on the global apparel supply chain. This is high-level networking with a specific goal in mind: lofty sustainability goals that our industry so often talks about are translated into meaningful, practical actions."

"The world after the pandemic is much different than that of the past. So, at the 3rd  SAF, we aim to drive discussion about the shared responsibility to make Bangladesh a sustainable and responsible apparel sourcing destination," he added.

The Embassy of the Netherlands in Bangladesh is the title sponsor while Pacific Jeans, Cotton USA and KDS are platinum sponsors of the event.

Senior representatives from globally renowned recycling and renewable energy companies will also attend and as well exhibit their sustainability and green technologies products and solutions at the SAF. The SAF will also showcase opportunities for much-needed green financing in the industry.

Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, adviser to the prime minister on power, Salman F Rahman, adviser to the prime minister on private industries; Tipu Munshi, commerce minister; Begum Monnujan Sufian, state minister for labour and employment; Ahmad Kaikaus, principal secretary to the prime minister, Anna Athanasopoulou, unit head for social economy and creative industries, European Commission;   Faruque Hassan, president, BGMEA; Mohammad Hatem;  executive president, BKMEA; and Tuomo Poutiainen,  country director, Bangladesh, ILO will speak among others.