The third edition of the Sustainable Apparel Forum (SAF) will be back in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 10 May 2022.

For the occasion, Government ministers and advisors, the European Union, UN bodies, brands, global fashion campaigners, brands, manufacturers and industry leaders will gather again and discuss how Bangladesh, the second-largest garment exporting hub in the world, can care about bringing a real change in the world and become one of the most responsible apparel sourcing destinations.



Senior representatives from globally renowned recycling and renewable energy companies will also be in attendance as well as exhibit their sustainability and green technologies, products and solutions under the same roof.

The SAF aims to showcase opportunities for financing responsible solutions in the industry.

Issues under the spotlight will include climate action, environmental social and governance (ESG) and green finance, purchasing practices, circular economy, and regulatory reforms.

The initiative will provide a platform for more than 50 top speakers, as well as 20 sustainable technology players exhibiting at the event, from 20 countries.




Speakers will include Dr Tawfiq-e-elahi Chowdhury, Bir Bikrom, advisor to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on power, energy and mineral resources; Salman F Rahman, MP, adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on industry and investment; Tipu Munshi, MP, commerce minister of Bangladesh; Begum Monnujan Sufian, MP, state minister for labor and employment of Bangladesh; and Saber Hossain Chowdhury, MP, chairman of parliamentary standing committee on ministry of environment, forest and climate change of Bangladesh, among others.

From the fashion and apparel industry there will be: Gagan Bansal, global material innovation and strategy manager, H&M; Javier Santonja Olcina,  regional head, Bangladesh & Pakistan, Inditex; Faruque Hassan, president, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BGMEA); Dr Mark Anner, founding director, Center for Global Workers’ Rights and also professor, Penn State University, USA; Ayesha Barenblat, founder and CEO, Remake;  Najet Draper, vice president research, Better Buying; and  Tuomo Poutiainen,  country director, Bangladesh, ILO.

Mostafiz Uddin, founder, SAF, said: “With SAF 2022, we wanted to curate an event where key global industry influencers could gather and provide a catalyst for genuine industry change. This is high-level networking with a specific goal in mind: how can we turn the needle so that the lofty sustainability goals our industry, so often talks about are translated into meaningful, practical actions?”

 

“We’ve gathered fashion and finance, government and key multi-stakeholder initiatives, technology and worker rights groups. We intend to raise the bar in a serious way”, he added.

 

“There will also be a full post-event debriefing, with guidance and discussion on event outcomes and potential future actions,” he continued.

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