The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and German development cooperation agency GIZ have teamed up to strengthen human rights and environmental due diligence in the readymade garments (RMG) sector of Bangladesh.
The BGMEA with the support of the GIZ will develop an environment, social and governance (ESG) digital data reporting platform for collecting and publishing data on the sustainability performance of the BGMEA member factories.
The BGMEA will set up a due diligence unit for its member factories to help them get prepared for the human rights and environmental due diligence (HREDD) requirements.
This unit will support factory management and mid-level management of RMG factories, including sustainability officers, social compliance officers, and human resource officers, to integrate environmental and human rights due diligence into their operations and meet buyers' expectations regarding the implementation of risk-mitigating measures.
In this regard, the BGMEA and GIZ signed a cooperation agreement Thursday.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan and GIZ Project Manager Michael Klode inked the agreement.
As per the agreement, BGMEA and GIZ will work together to develop, functionalise and implement the online platform for collecting and publishing data on the sustainability performance of the BGMEA member factories.
It also aims to build the capacity of the BGMEA in maintaining the platform and publishing sustainability performance data.
The objective of the due diligence unit at the BGMEA will be to provide a one-stop service for its members regarding the upcoming legislative changes related to due diligence and sustainability.
