Apparel industry’s call for sustainability
A Sustainability Summit this week hit at the heart of growing concerns on the need for industries especially the apparel sector to steer its course onto a path that will ensure the adoption of measures in line with climate change while focussing on chemical management.
Sri Lanka’s first multinational textile manufacturer, the Teejay Group recently conducted its Inaugural Sustainability Summit, based on the need to expand focus to address both chemical management and the broader aspects of sustainability.
Panellists at the discussion. Pic by Eshan Fernando
Addressing the summit, chief guest on the occasion – Senior Additional Secretary/CEO Climate Change Office –Presidential Secretariat – Dr. Anil Jasinghe called out to the big players in the apparel industry to assist the small players to become competitive by engaging in sustainable practices.
He pointed out that while the industry has forged ahead even without state assistance it is opportune now for the apparel industry and the financial sector to focus on alternative financing so that the cost on sustainability efforts don’t go beyond one’s means.
Sustainability is no longer a choice but a necessity for the textile and apparel sector, he said adding that the waste generation and carbon emission is substantial.
Traceability and transparency is increasingly relevant as consumers and stakeholders demand to know the origins of their products, including the materials used and the conditions under which they were produced, Dr. Jasinghe explained.
Globally the textile industry is responsible for 10 per cent of all GHG emissions according to analysis by the European Parliament – more than air travel and shipping combined.
Besides the policies of the industry sector, the National Policy on Climate Change, the Nationally Determined Contributions and the Carbon Net Zero 2050 Road Map and Strategic Action Plan have identified the need for green industries, he said.
Dr. Jasinghe spoke in detail about chemical management that involves ensuring the safe use, storage, and disposal of chemicals as well as transitioning to safer, more sustainable alternatives.
He noted that by addressing chemical management comprehensively, “we can mitigate environmental and health risks and enhance the overall sustainability of our operations”.
Currently, the EU Green Recovery Facility funded by the European Union is a project of four years from 2023 to 2027 that will directly or indirectly benefit the apparel industry to a greater extent, Dr. Jasinghe said.
This will ensure the promotion of the Eco Industrial Parks in Sri Lanka with 16 of the 70 industrial parks to be transformed to Eco Industrial parks. Katunayake, Biyagama, Seethawka and Koggala Export Processing Zones are included in the selected 16 industrial parks where a large number of apparel industries operate.
The second project is “Accelerating Industries Climate Response in Sri Lanka” also funded by the EU that would help Sri Lanka mitigate climate change.
Further a database of energy intensive industries will be developed to support CEA in developing online EPL issuance.
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