Promoting sustainability in Pakistan's textile industry

Context

Pakistan's textile and fashion industry plays a central role in the country's economy. With an export volume of around USD 18.6 billion, it accounts for around 60 per cent of total exports and 8.5 per cent of gross domestic product. This makes Pakistan one of the world’s largest exporters of textile and fashion products, and the European Union (EU) is the most important market. Despite employing around 15 million people, working conditions in this sector remain precarious. Human rights violations and social and ecological standards are frequently ignored. Environmental problems such as greenhouse gas emissions, harmful air pollution and the unregulated disposal of hazardous waste and wastewater are also challenges that urgently need to be addressed.

Objective

The textile and fashion industry in Pakistan produces sustainably and complies with labour standards. This increases productivity, competitiveness and economic resilience.

Approach

The project pursues a methodological approach that utilises the interrelationship between social, economic and ecological sustainability. Each field of activity therefore includes measures for all three areas of sustainability.

Field of activity 1 improves cooperation between public and private stakeholders to promote sustainability in production in the textile and fashion industry.

Field of activity 2 supports the marketability of local service companies in Pakistan’s textile and fashion industry in the area of sustainable production.

Field of activity 3 promotes the management skills of textile and fashion producers in line with the principles of the circular economy in order to produce less waste and better reuse products – based on the requirements of the EU's Green Deal package of measures.

Last update: February 2024