Making Asia’s Textile Industry Fairer for People and the Planet

The textile and garment industry is a key sector of the economy in many Asian countries, making a significant contribution to the GDP and creating millions of jobs. In some countries, this industry accounts for up to 80 per cent of export revenue. Although the underlying conditions in these countries vary considerably, the major challenges in the industry are in common: ensuring decent conditions for the workers and reducing environmental impact.

The German Government supports Asia’s textile industry address those challenges and become more socially, environmentally and economically sustainable, though a GIZ-implemented project on “Promoting Sustainability in the Textile and Garment Industry in Asia” (FABRIC). The project brings together change makers of the Asian garment and textile industry and makes production processes fairer for people and for the planet. By identifying the common interests of key actors, FABRIC supports sustained knowledge transfer and greater cooperation between countries and across the global supply chains. Working closely with other relevant global and regional initiatives, FABRIC currently operates in six countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Viet Nam.

In Viet Nam, FABRIC has seen the following results:

• 130 factories trained in Climate Action, many of whom are now better able to scale up the acquired know-how across their supply chains.
• 187 factories supported in chemical management, 74% of whom became capable of improving their chemical management score by more than 20%.
• A Code of Conduct and practical manual on the subject of sexual harassment in the workplace was developed with public and private entities. Once approved by the tripartite partners, it will set a standard for Vietnamese companies to work on this topic.

▶️ Learn more about how FABRIC supports the Asia’s textile and garment industry to become more sustainable: https://lnkd.in/gYhswt8E