The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has developed a web tool to help calculate resource consumption in Bangladesh’s readymade garment industry. PaCT (Partnership for Cleaner Textile) is a data-driven monitoring software that will provide real-time analytics for readymade garment factories, helping them in their efforts to improve use of resources like water and energy. Through programs like PaCT, IFC hopes to contribute toward improving sector competitiveness by promoting resource efficiency through innovative ways and evolving with global trends. IFC is a member of the World Bank Group.

Supported by Denmark, Australia, and the Netherlands, PaCT’s multi-stakeholder partnership has already helped the industry save 25 billion liters of water and 2.5 million megawatt hours of energy annually. Launched in 2018, PaCT works with 132 factories to adopt state-of-the-art efficiency and reduce water, energy, and chemical use to meet global standards.

Bangladesh is the world’s second largest clothing exporter. More than six per cent of world apparel exports originate from Bangladesh. The European Union is the largest customer of the fashion industry in Bangladesh. However, Bangladesh is expected to slow its fashion exports to Europe. In parallel, the Asian country is expected to enter the list of less developed regions in 2024.