“Greening” textiles and garments: Enterprises have many shortcomings

Green growth is an important content of sustainable development. In the textile, garment and footwear industry, the issue of greening has received special attention from businesses in this industry in recent years.

Since 2017, the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association has established a Sustainable Development Committee and has had a clear impact on businesses in the industry. Many textile and garment enterprises have implemented greening programs such as replacing coal-burning and oil-burning boilers with electric boilers, installing rooftop solar power, water treatment as well as wastewater reuse… but the number is very small. It is difficult to measure due to the lack of uniformity among businesses. The main barrier is the large investment source and lack of accompanying incentive and support policies.

The European Union (EU) makes requirements for textile and garment products: right from the design stage, it must ensure ecological design and the production and consumption process must ensure sustainable consumption. Fast consumer production will be replaced by sustainable consumer production. The product can be recycled and reused to ensure less environmental pollution.

These standards will become increasingly higher based on the level of compliance of businesses with respect to responsibilities towards workers, the environment, society and consumers. These standards will not be fixed but will constantly change, requiring businesses to flexibly adapt.

“Going green” to increase exports is what many textile and garment enterprises aim for, helping businesses develop sustainably and reduce production costs. However, the need for capital is very large, businesses converting to clean, circular production must have enough financial potential to do so. Finally, regarding people, human resource training to meet the “greening” requirements of businesses is still weak. Therefore, businesses need to clearly understand their strengths to proactively transform production, promote internal capabilities, and take advantage of opportunities to innovate business activities based on advantages as well as difficulties that need to be overcome.

In addition to the efforts of businesses, the textile industry hopes that the State will have a specific support mechanism and specific policies to encourage the development of supporting industries, including master planning and investment attraction allocation. investment, export promotion funds, financial support… to help businesses improve their competitiveness in the international market.

Source: Doanhnghiephoinhap.vn