Propagating sustainable apparel in Asia

As part of the EU supported SWITCH-Asia II Initiative, the Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Facility, launched in 2017, supports the development or adjustment of the policy framework for the promotion of SCP in Asia. This will help to promote sustainable growth, achieve economic prosperity and reduce poverty in Asia, and support the development of a sustainable economy that counteracts the effects of climate change.

At present, the principles of sustainable consumption and sustainable production are implemented at various levels in the countries selected. Commissioned by SWITCH-Asia, the project analyses trends as well as sustainability and market challenges of sectors across the region. It then breaks them down to individual countries, explaining their individual situation and degree of implementation with regard to SCPs. Structured stakeholder dialogues, the so-called Communities of Interest (COI), are used to bring together industrial actors and decision-makers in country politics in order to facilitate the introduction of specific SCP aspects into the policy framework of 15 selected Asian countries. Textiles and leather are among the current target sectors.

adelphi supported the initiative by analysing the SCP framework for the leather and textile industry in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, India, Laos, Myanmar, Mongolia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam as well as five Central Asian countries (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan). The results provided the agenda and guidance for a sector-specific Community of Interest. The outcomes of this dialogue process contribute to the development, harmonisation and anchoring of sector relevant SCP policies.