With Vietnam’s increasing participation in trade agreements, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the EU free trade agreement, local textile sector is poised for faster growth, creating increased demand for sustainable energy and water use practices. The textile, apparel and footwear sector is a significant contributor to Vietnam’s economy. In 2015, the sector's exports reached $39.2 billion and generated approximately three million jobs, mostly for women.

While this sector is energy and water intensive, there are opportunities for reducing resource consumption by 20 per cent or higher by using the latest technology and good operating practices.

Energy and water efficiency assessments will be conducted at about 30 factories over the next 12 months to help them reduce operating costs and improve productivity while contributing to the country’s green growth and climate change targets.

This manufacturing sustainability initiative will promote resource efficiency by systematically assessing performance improvement opportunities, conducting benchmarking studies, sharing technology best practices, and raising sector-level awareness for broader uptake.

Factory assessments at supplier factories across the textile value chain, including cut-and-sew, dyeing-and-printing and garment-washing operations, will identify and develop cost-effective measures to improve energy and water efficiency while helping suppliers improve productivity and competitiveness.