The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has joined hands with VF Corporation to enhance the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of the textile wet processing sector in Bangladesh by reducing excessive groundwater extraction and surface water pollution, energy and chemical use. The project will be carried out by IFC’s Bangladesh Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT) programme, read a press release of the IFC. VF Corporation joins 12 other brands in the PaCT family bringing the total partner brands to 13.

The program has contributed to saving of water and energy of 14.4 billion liters and 1.23 million MWh per year, reduced GHG emission by 188,000 tonnes carbon-dioxide equivalent per year and resource saving worth $10 million annually in 162 partner factories. In addition to the PaCT project, VF Corporation is also partnering IFC in the Vietnam Improvement Project (VIP).

IFC program manager for PaCT Mohan Seneviratne said water is a key input in the textile sector and large quantities are consumed in the direct operations and supply chain. Current groundwater abstraction rates in Bangladesh are close to their limit and growth projection of $50 billion by 2021 can only be achieved with the development of sustainable water supplies, effluent treatment facilities and resource efficient practices.

In Bangladesh, the IFC is providing both investment and advisory support and working along with other stakeholders to help the garments sector become globally competitive and safe for its employees. As a part of this move, PaCT will engage with VF Corporation’s supplier factories in three ways- awareness building, basic cleaner production (CP) assessment and in-depth CP assessment.