The first ever in Bangladesh a knowledge event on the sustainability issues of apparel sector titled ‘Sustainable Apparel Forum (SAF)’ is going to be held at International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB), Dhaka on 17 May 2017. Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE) is organizing the program concurrently with its flagship event Bangladesh Denim Expo which is also happening at the same venue on 17 & 18 May.
‘Making Sustainability Easier’ is set as the theme of the Forum which consists of an opening session and four knowledge sessions. The four knowledge sessions are 1: Saving Water, Resources & Cost: – The ‘Must Knows’ for our Factories, 2. Energy Efficiency – How to Optimize Energy Consumption & Reduce Cost, 3. Green Factories and 4. Sustainable Financing. The objective of the sessions is to facilitate meaningful exchange of knowledge to make sustainability easier to be exercised by factories and individuals.
Founder Chairman of Bangladesh Apparel Exchange and also the Founder & CEO of Bangladesh Denim Expo Mostafiz Uddin said: “The industry has already made commendable strides in the area of sustainability. Presence of already 67 LEED certified green garment factories in the country while 222 more are in the offing is the telltale evidence the sector’s steady move towards sustainability. The SAF wants to accelerate the momentum within the industry through education, awareness and reducing knowledge gap.”
Globally renowned experts of home and abroad will speak on apparel sustainability issues in the four sessions based on the needs of business and customers’ expectations and provide hands-on training, pragmatic knowledge and professional skills through specialized workshops. The audience will also avail the opportunity to ask the speakers the most frequently raised/ sought for queries at plant level.
Md. Mohiuddin Rubel, Managing Director of Bangladesh Apparel Exchange said: “The sessions have been devised in a way to discuss practical aspects of the daily operation at factories, rather than general discussions, to take Bangladesh a step forward as a responsible sourcing destination in the global map.”
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, MP, and Honourable Adviser to the PM on Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Affairs Dr. Towfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, BB, will inaugurate the Sustainable Apparel Forum (SAF) at 10am on 17 May.
The ‘In Collaboration With’ Partners of the Sustainable Apparel Forum 2017 are the Embassy of the German Republic in Bangladesh, the Embassy of France in Bangladesh, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BGMEA), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries (CBI) of Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dansk Fashion and Textile — the trade association for Danish textile and clothing companies, GIZ Bangladesh, Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT) of International Finance Corporation (IFC), Energy Efficiency Engagement (3e) program of the Nordic Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Bangladesh (NCCI), KFW DEG of Germany, and MDF Training & Consultancy. HSBC Bank is sponsoring the Title Sponsor while American & Efird, Kamal Cogent, Soko, Rahimafrooz Solar, Panta Rei Water Solutions by Aamra are other sponsors of the event.