Now Bangladesh has 243 United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified readymade garment factories as three more units achieved status of green factories, according to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.
Of the 243 green factories, 101 are platinum-rated, 128 gold-rated, 10 silver-rated and four certified factories.
In May, Gazipur-based Tasniah Fabrics Limited (admin building) achieved a platinum certificate from the USGBC under LEED O+M: Existing Building v4 rating system with a score of 107.
The score made the factory the highest rated LEED-certified green factory in the world. Earlier, the position was held by another Bangladeshi factory, SM Sourcing Ltd, which has the score of 106.
Another Gazipur-based factory, Tasniah Fabrics (RMG building), also obtained a platinum certificate from the USGBC with a score of 106 under LEED O+M: Existing Building v4 in the same month.
Confit Golden Leaf, a Dhaka-based factory, obtained a platinum certificate from the USGBC under LEED O+M: Existing Building v4.1 rating system with a score of 82.
So far, 66 of the world’s top 100 LEED factories, including nine of the top 10 and 18 of the top 20, are in Bangladesh.
This success is expected to attract new investment and partnerships, reinforcing Bangladesh’s position as a sustainable manufacturing hub.
According to industry insiders, a total of 550 factories were awaiting the USGBC’s LEED certification.
The factories of Bangladesh have been obtaining the LEED certificate since 2011.
The USGBC honours factories based on several criteria: transformation performance, energy, water and waste management. The best performers are rated platinum, followed by gold and silver.
According to industry insiders, these criteria help green factories significantly reduce operational costs over time, even though they may initially cost more to set up.
Former BGMEA director Mohiuddin Rubel said that as the world increasingly prioritised ESG performance and sustainability in supply chains, this milestone enhanced the country’s global image.
