Swedish Embassy and Business Sweden along with key industry players are set to launch the Sustainable Textiles Platform aiming to help Pakistan in the textile sector with Swedish technology and innovation.
“Pakistan’s textile industry, a crucial part of its economy, faces mounting pressure to adopt eco-friendly practices,” said a Swedish embassy press release on Wednesday.
The embassy noted, “Pakistan’s textile, garments, and apparel manufacturing sector is vital to its economy, contributing nearly 10% of the nation’s GDP. However, this key industry is under pressure to adopt sustainable practices as global markets demand eco-friendly products. To stay competitive, the textile sector must innovate.”
It said that the Pakistani textile industry was making strides towards environmental sustainability by focusing on renewable energy, advanced water management, and recycling. “These efforts are crucial for the industry’s global competitiveness and long-term success. Despite progress, there is still no common standard for sustainability practices across the sector.”
Swedish technology and innovation are set to play a transformative role in this area. By incorporating Swedish advancements, Pakistani manufacturers can increase efficiency, reduce their environmental impact, and secure long-term economic benefits.”
It further said that this initiative will explore how Swedish technology can enhance sustainability and productivity in Pakistan’s textile sector, with a focus on circular economy, water treatment, and renewable energy. “The platform will also highlight the involvement of major Swedish textile buyers like IKEA and H&M, and technology providers like Atlas Copco, through panel discussions.
Key areas of focus includes circularity by adopting circular economy principles to reduce waste and continually reuse resources, water treatment, renewable energy.”
The Sustainable Textile Platform event aims to bring together sourcing companies, producers, public sector decision-makers, and academia to drive positive change in the textile sector. By leveraging Swedish technology and innovation, the Pakistani textile industry can enhance sustainability, improve productivity, and boost product quality, making it more competitive globally.
Director General for Global Affairs in Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dag Juhlin-Dannfelt said, “The people of Pakistan are among those who understand the impact of climate change the most. The Sustainable Textile Platform not only aims to mitigate the climate crisis but hopefully it will inspire more companies to follow suit. The Swedish business community is eager to provide expertise while collaborating with Pakistani partners who understand the possibilities for improvements on the ground.”
Ambassador of Sweden in Pakistan Henrik Persson said, “The partnership between Swedish and Pakistani companies is already very strong in the textile sector. The sustainable textiles concept holds great potential for the Pakistani textile industry to maintain and further strengthen its competitiveness in the global market. Swedish partners are ready to support this endeavor.”
