Huntsman & GIZ join to raise Bangla chemical sector norms

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, a German federal agency that promotes sustainable development around the world, and Huntsman Textile Effects, the leading global provider of high-quality dyes and textiles chemicals, are cooperating to raise industry standards in the management of chemicals by textile mills in Bangladesh. Ten mills have so far signed up to the partners’ GIZ Chemical Environmental Management for Competitiveness Program. 

 

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, a German federal agency that promotes sustainable development around the world, #

The cooperation was formalized with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Huntsman Textile Effects and Promotion of Social and Environmental Standards (PSES) a textile industry initiative jointly developed by the governments of Bangladesh and Germany, and implemented by GIZ. 

 

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, a German federal agency that promotes sustainable development around the world, #

The GIZ Chemical Environmental Management for Competitiveness Program will include managerial and technical training, audit and consultancy services and implementation support from local and international Environmental Management System experts from GIZ and Huntsman Textile Effects. Working closely with the local textiles sector, the two partners will support the development of industry-wide chemical management (CM) best practices in Bangladesh and accelerate the adoption of these practices, with the ultimate aim of supporting the industry’s environmental and economic sustainability. 

 

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, a German federal agency that promotes sustainable development around the world, #

Bangladesh’s textile industry is the nation’s largest export sector. The ready-made garment (RMG) sector was worth US$19 billion in 2012, when more than 5,000 garment factories employed about 4 million people and accounted for 45% of all industrial workers. To remain internationally competitive, local textile mills and RMG factories increasingly have to demonstrate that they operate in a socially and environmentally sustainable way. 

 

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, a German federal agency that promotes sustainable development around the world, #

Mr. Magnus Schmid, PSES Program Coordinator, said, “Textile factories in Bangladesh are now taking environmental issues more seriously as regulatory requirements become stricter and the economic benefits of sustainability become more widely recognized. PSES has already made a great impact with our CM training program and other initiatives and we look forward to doing even more through our new partnership with Huntsman Textile Effects. With Huntsman, we are committed to helping the industry eliminate hazardous substances from the production process in order to achieve a cleaner and safer textiles sector.”