Economic Reporter :
The apparel industry of Bangladesh touched the milestone of having 155 US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified green factories, the highest in the world.
According to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh’s RMG sector has taken the lead in green manufacturing with 46 Platinum, 95 Gold, 10 Silver and another 4 LEED-certified factory buildings as of January 10.
On Monday, Sharmin Apparels Ltd and Sharmin Fashion Ltd obtained the Platinum certificate whereas AM Design Ltd obtained the Gold certificate.
Industry insiders said that the apparel sector of Bangladesh is now standing at a crossroads of becoming the global leader by facing the growing challenges in the area of sustainability, climate change, groundwater depletion, efficiency and many more.
Green Industrialization is one of BGMEA’s many initiatives to take the sustainability stride of the industry to the next level, they added.
According to the apparel manufacturers, the move towards green factory buildings helped to regain Bangladesh’s image after the Rana Plaza tragedy, which claimed 1,134 lives and left more than 2,000 injured.
Moreover, the green factory also helps to cut down the usage of energy by 40% and water consumption by more than 30%. It also emits less carbon which further ensures environmental safety, said the BGMEA officials.
Green buildings also ensure a safe workplace for workers as the factory owners have to follow certain rules for the construction of the buildings.
Faruque Hassan, president of the BGMEA, said earlier that Bangladesh is a greenfield for investment in the growing apparel sector. He also said that Bangladesh has 155 LEED Green garments factories certified by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and 40 out of the world’s top 100 garment factories are in Bangladesh.
He also said that 500 more factories are in the process of getting LEED certification. BGMEA pledges to the Green Button, which is a global seal of excellence in sustainability by the government of Germany.
