Textile and apparel businesses in Viet Nam need to pay more attention to sustainability with regard to cotton sourcing, reducing environmental impacts and adhering to global labour conventions, a conference heard in HCM City on Tuesday.

Tran Nhu Tung, deputy chairman of the Viet Nam Textile and Apparel Association, said the textile and apparel industry accounts for a sizeable portion of the country’s electricity consumption, and so if it saves power or uses power more efficiently, it would be good for the environment.

Viet Nam is committed to achieving zero emissions by 2050, and many local companies to reducing their environmental footprints, he said.

Businesses need to pay attention to their cotton sources, which have to be environmentally friendly and not involve forced labour, he said.

“More and more customers are aware of sustainability issues. Many of them are willing to spend more money on products that are environmentally friendly.

“By 2030 Viet Nam’s textile and apparel industry aims to become a top destination for buyers of sustainable supplies of textile and apparel products that do not harm the environment or people. It will use power and water in a more circular, efficient and sustainable manner.”

Vu Duc Giang, chairman of the association, said sustainable textile and apparel products need to ensure sustainability across all stages of production such as raw material farms, manufacturing lines and dyeing processes.

Technologies have to be environmentally friendly, and businesses have to abide by global conventions on labour, he said.

Many Vietnamese businesses are unable to export their goods to the US since they do not fulfil origin traceability requirements, he said.

Businesses need to pay close attention to global political relations, and quickly adapt to global changes.

Vo Manh Hung of the US Cotton Council International in Viet Nam said: “Businesses, especially exporters to the US, should partake in sustainable cotton programmes, as they help certify businesses using material sources that are transparent and sustainable.”

Tran Nhu Tung’s Thanh Cong Textile Garment Investment Trading JSC has been installing solar panels and taking part in the US Cotton Trust Protocol, which helps prove that his company uses sustainable cotton sources.

The US accounts for around 42 per cent of Viet Nam’s textile and apparel exports, and Viet Nam is one of the US’s biggest buyers of raw cotton.

Exports of textile and apparel this year has been worth around US$22 billion, a 23 per cent increase from last year. — VNS