'Global apparel buyers prioritise LEED-certified factories'

Global apparel buyers give priority to the environment-friendly LEED-certified green factories, ensuring a smooth flow of work orders throughout the year, said a LEED-certified RMG factory CEO on Monday. 

“And the flow of year-round work orders is more important than price, as it offers long-term payback,” Mirza Shams Mahmud Shakti, CEO of SM Sourcing, said while speaking at a certificate-giving ceremony held in Dhaka city.

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) awarded SM Sourcing the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) platinum certificate, as the export-oriented garment factory located in Gazipur, scored the world’s highest 106 points out of 110.

Bangladesh has eventually turned into a major source of inspiration for many countries as it is currently the global leader in establishing green garment factories, said Santanu Dutta Gupta, USGBC Faculty and Associate Director, Market Development from the Green Building Council Institute (GBCI), in Dhaka.

At present, Bangladesh has 209 USGBC LEED-certified green factories, including 79 platinum, 116 gold, and 10 silver, with the rest being only green certified.

Also, Bangladesh leads in green garment factories, with 54 out of the top 100 green and 18 of the top 20 LEED green factories located in the country.

“Bangladesh’s achievements in the green building segment are not only well discussed in Southeast Asia and South Asia but also in the western world,” Mr Gupta said while handing over the certificate to SM Sourcing.

With Bangladesh becoming the global champion in green garment factories, global buyers are now placing high volumes of work orders in Bangladesh, shifting from other countries, he noted.

“LEED is not just a certificate; it is the most effective business management system if we understand and follow it. Benefits are very high and cannot be ignored,” Ananta Ahmed, International Green Building Expert, USGBC Faculty, and the Principal LEED Consultant of 360 Total Solution Limited, said.

“If we understand LEED Green Building concepts in a factual way, cost is not an issue, and if we analyse the costs and benefits in a meaningful way, we will find that LEED green building costs are lower than those of regular buildings,” he added.

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