The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) have signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement to advance sustainability reporting and responsible business practices in Bangladesh’s textile and apparel industry through the Improving Transparency for Sustainable Business (ITSB) Initiative.
The agreement formalizes a collaboration that began in 2025, establishing BGMEA as a strategic partner to promote transparent, responsible, and sustainable business practices across the country’s export-oriented apparel sector.
Under the partnership, BGMEA will work with GRI to strengthen the capacity of manufacturers, regulators, investors, industry associations, and other stakeholders to identify, manage, and disclose their environmental, social, and economic impacts using the internationally recognized GRI Standards.
The initiative comes as Bangladesh continues aligning its sustainability disclosure framework with evolving global reporting requirements. Enhanced sustainability reporting is expected to help apparel manufacturers better respond to the expectations of international buyers, investors, regulators, workers, and local communities while improving risk management, transparency, and long-term value creation.
The multi-year ITSB Initiative will deliver a range of capacity-building activities, including workshops, masterclasses, webinars, consultations, surveys, and stakeholder dialogues for small, medium, and large enterprises across the textile and apparel value chain.
The collaboration will also support Bangladesh’s participation in the development of global sustainability reporting standards, including GRI’s upcoming Textile and Apparel Sector Standard, as well as new standards related to labour and economic impacts. Through structured consultations, industry stakeholders will be able to share practical insights and sector-specific priorities with the Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB).
The Sustainability Nexus (SusNex) will serve as the initiative’s Training and Outreach Partner in Bangladesh, delivering localized training programmes and stakeholder engagement activities.
Since its launch, the ITSB Initiative has attracted nearly 300 participants from businesses, industry associations, regulators, and other stakeholders through engagement programmes held in May and July 2026. The sessions focused on materiality assessment, environmental and social impacts, sustainability disclosures, investor expectations, and practical application of the GRI Standards.
Commenting on the partnership, Bastian Buck, Chief of Standards at GRI, said the agreement represents an important milestone in strengthening sustainability transparency and impact-based reporting within Bangladesh’s textile and apparel sector. He noted that the collaboration would help organizations improve the practical application of GRI Standards while contributing industry insights to the development of future global sustainability reporting standards.
Wasim Zakariah, Chairman of BGMEA’s Standing Committee on Responsible Business Hub (RBH) and Sustainability Reporting, said Bangladesh’s garment industry has made significant progress in environmental sustainability, workplace safety, and responsible business practices. He emphasized that the partnership will help companies strengthen sustainability measurement, reporting, and disclosure, enabling them to meet the evolving expectations of international buyers, investors, and regulators while improving their own business performance.
By combining GRI’s global expertise, BGMEA’s industry leadership, and SusNex’s local training support, the partnership aims to foster greater transparency, strengthen sustainability reporting practices, and enhance the global competitiveness of Bangladesh’s textile and apparel sector.
