Updated on : 13-02-2018

The International Finance Corporation yesterday signed an agreement with the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association to implement the second Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT) in the garment and textile sector.

Under the PaCT programme, which was launched in 2013, garment and textile makers are advised to adopt modern technologies in factories and changing attitudes to reduce water and energy consumption in the next four years.

Wendy Jo Werner, IFC's country manager, and Siddiqur Rahman, BGMEA's president, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides at the Radisson Hotel in Dhaka to implement the PaCT in 250 spinning, dyeing and finishing units.

The IFC will spend $7 million for implementing the second phase of the programme. The first one was implemented in 215 factories at a cost of $11 million.

“The factories have reduced their water consumption significantly thanks to the implementation of the first phase of the PaCT,” said Rahman.

The PaCT is the largest textile-based resource efficiency programme in the world, said Alexios Pantelias, manager of energy and water advisory services of the IFC, the World Bank Group's arm that lends to the private sector.

“When the factories and brands commit to such a programme, it shows that they have a vision to move beyond the identity of being the world's second largest apparel exporter.”

Despite having one of the lowest per capita carbon dioxide emissions, Bangladesh has stepped up its efforts to be known for its environmental sustainability initiatives, Pantelias said.

“The Bangladesh textile sector deserves credit for accelerating green uptake.”  At present, Bangladesh has 67 green garment factories, with 280 more on way, according to Rahman.

The PaCT showed that for every dollar invested in implementing their recommendations, 26 million cubic litres of water and 2 MWh of energy can be saved annually, and 23 million cubic litres of wastewater and 0.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission can be avoided per year, said Nishat Shahid Chowdhury, programme manager of the PaCT of the IFC.

The other benefits of the programme include better productivity, investment with higher return and cleaner environment for community, Chowdhury said

(Courtesy: The Daily Star)