Development of comprehensive environmental performance assessment framework for RSC

Bangladesh is the world’s second largest textile and garment producing country after China with a global market share of 7.4 percent in 2023, according to the World Trade Organisation report titled ‘World Trade Statistics 2023: Key Insights and Trends’ (WTO 2024). Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and related order cancellations by international brands, export values remain at a high level. Bangladesh exported textile goods worth 38 billion USD (2023) which accounted for 82% percent of country`s total export in 2023. Although the Ready-Made-Garment (RMG) sector is a key contributor to the economic growth of Bangladesh, full compliance with social and environmental standards remains a challenge. The RMG Sustainability Council (RSC), which is an unprecedented private national tripartite initiative to carry forward the significant accomplishments made in workplace safety in Bangladesh, was set up by three incorporating members representing each of the three constituents from Industry, Global Fashion Brands and Global and Local Trade Unions. The RSC conducts structural, electrical, fire & life safety and boiler safety inspections, supports and monitors remediation, conducts OSH training programme and operates an independent occupational safety & health complaints mechanism available to workers in RSC covered RMG factories. With support from the GIZ SCAIP project, RSC has started to explore ways to expand its current mandate to environmental standards. The expert team from adelphi Consult and REED Consulting supported the RSC team in developing and implementing a comprehensive environmental performance assessment framework, with focus on chemical, energy, water, wastewater and waste management. This framework provides RSC with the essential tools to evaluate a factory's environmental performance and assess the respective company's status from both local and global perspectives in relation of compliance with Due Diligence requirements and legal frameworks.