International Finance Corporation and VF Corp are working together to enhance the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of the textile wet processing sector in Bangladesh. This is being done by reducing excessive groundwater extraction and surface water pollution, energy and chemical use. The project will be carried out by IFC’s Bangladesh Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PACT) program. VF Corp joins 12 other brands in the PACT family, bringing the total partner brands to 13. The program has contributed to water and energy savings of 14.4 billion liters and 1.23 million megawatt hours per year.

IFC is a member of the World Bank Group. In Bangladesh, IFC provides both investment and advisory support and works along with other stakeholders to help the garment sector become globally competitive and safe for its employees. VF Corp is a branded lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories company. VF aims at assisting its strategic suppliers in reducing their water, energy, waste, and chemical use, while simultaneously reducing the cost of production.

PACT will engage with VF’s supplier factories in awareness building, basic and in-depth cleaner production assessment. Major activities will include factory-level advice on technical assessment of resource efficient textile processing, facilitating implementation through user groups, strengthening corporate water and energy management systems, and investment facilitation in technologies with significant water sustainability benefits.