Beyond net zero: Climate resilience practices in global textile manufacturing
Achieving Net Zero is an essential milestone in addressing climate change, but it is no longer sufficient to safeguard the future of global textile manufacturing. While climate mitigation focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it cannot fully address the physical impacts of climate change that are already disrupting production systems and global supply chains. Consequently, climate resilience has become an equally important business priority, enabling manufacturers to anticipate, adapt to, and recover from climate-related risks while maintaining operational continuity and long-term competitiveness.
The global textile and apparel industry, responsible for approximately 8–10% of global carbon emissions, nearly 20% of industrial wastewater pollution, and an estimated 215 trillion litres of annual water consumption, faces escalating threats from water scarcity, rising temperatures, biodiversity loss, and extreme weather events. In response, manufacturers are increasingly adopting climate resilience practices, including water stewardship, climate-resilient infrastructure, heat stress management, biodiversity conservation, renewable energy, and resource-efficient production, to strengthen business resilience and supply chain sustainability.
Moving beyond Net Zero therefore requires embedding climate resilience into manufacturing strategies, investments, and supply chain management. This article examines emerging climate resilience practices across the global textile industry, highlights the key challenges limiting their implementation, and explores strategic pathways for building a more adaptive, competitive, and climate-resilient manufacturing sector.
Climate adaptation and global apparel economy
The apparel sector is a cornerstone of global manufacturing economies such as Bangladesh, India, China, Vietnam, and Turkey, contributing significantly to exports and employment. According to WTO data (compiled by Bangladesh Apparel Exchange), global apparel exports reached US$557.5 billion in 2024. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has outlined an ambitious roadmap to achieve US$100 billion in apparel exports by 2030 while simultaneously reinforcing its commitment to sustainability.
Realizing the full potential of the global fashion and apparel industry will depend on strengthening resilience to escalating climate risks. As one of the world’s most resource-intensive industries, the sector places considerable pressure on natural resources while remaining highly vulnerable to climate-related disruptions. Water scarcity, extreme heat, flooding, biodiversity loss, and other climate hazards are already affecting raw material production, manufacturing operations, worker productivity, and supply chain continuity. Without timely investment in climate adaptation and resilience, these challenges are likely to increase operational costs, disrupt trade, and undermine long-term competitiveness. Integrating climate risk management, sustainable resource use, resilient infrastructure, nature-positive solutions, and adaptive business practices will be essential to protecting livelihoods, securing resilient supply chains, and ensuring the industry’s sustainable growth in an increasingly uncertain climate.
Sustainability regulations are driving a new manufacturing model
The transition toward climate resilience is being accelerated by rapidly evolving sustainability regulations that strengthen supply chain transparency, accountability, and environmental performance across the global fashion industry. The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires disclosure of climate risks and sustainability impacts, while the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) extends responsibility across value chains to identify, prevent, and address environmental and human rights risks. The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) advances circularity through durable, repairable, and resource-efficient design, the Digital Product Passport (DPP) improves lifecycle traceability, and Germany’s LkSG reinforces supply chain risk management. Collectively, these frameworks shift sustainability from voluntary action to enforceable standards. Emerging European due diligence regulations are also increasing responsibility for global fashion brands and retailers, including Inditex, H&M, Nike, Zara, Levi’s, Primark, and C&A, driving stronger integration of sustainability, innovation, and social responsibility, and incentivizing co-investment in climate-resilient supply chains. For global manufacturers, adapting to climate resilience is becoming a decisive factor in maintaining export competitiveness. Investments in water stewardship, renewable energy, digital traceability, heat stress management, biodiversity conservation, and climate-resilient infrastructure are now essential to strengthening buyer confidence, meeting regulatory expectations, and securing long-term access to global markets.
Integrating Climate Adaptation into Textile Manufacturing: A Business Imperative and Global Industry Practices
In response to evolving global sustainability frameworks, climate disclosure requirements, and buyer due diligence expectations, textile manufacturers are embedding climate adaptation into operational, technological, and management systems, shifting from compliance-based approaches toward integrated sustainability strategies.
Across major producing countries, factories are upgrading production through water-efficient dyeing technologies, low liquor ratio machines, digital process controls, wastewater recycling, rainwater harvesting, Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) systems, and advanced effluent treatment to strengthen water security and reduce pollution.
To manage rising heat stress, manufacturers are redesigning facilities with improved ventilation, reflective roofing, thermal insulation, energy-efficient equipment, efficient cooling systems, real-time heat monitoring, hydration provisions, and adaptive work-rest scheduling to protect workforce health and productivity.
Biodiversity protection is being advanced through stricter chemical controls under Manufacturing Restricted Substances Lists (MRSLs), traceable and sustainable fibre sourcing, ecosystem restoration initiatives, improved waste segregation, recycling, and circular production models that reduce pressure on surrounding environments.
Infrastructure resilience is also being strengthened through flood-resilient factory layouts, elevated production floors in vulnerable areas, enhanced drainage networks, cyclone-resistant construction, climate risk assessments, and business continuity planning, supported by climate-responsive building design. Parallel to this, decarbonization efforts are expanding via rooftop solar deployment, renewable energy procurement, electrified processes, high-efficiency machinery, and digital energy management systems.
These shifts are reflected in differentiated country-level strategies. Bangladesh prioritizes factory-based resilience through green certification, including LEED and Higg standards, improved water efficiency, solar energy adoption, and heat management systems. India connects textile manufacturing with agriculture through climate-smart textile parks, regenerative cotton production, efficient irrigation practices, and zero liquid discharge systems. China focuses on industrial efficiency through circular water systems, zero liquid discharge technologies, digital monitoring, and eco-industrial parks. Vietnam emphasizes water stewardship, wastewater reuse, watershed management, and biodiversity conservation. Türkiye advances natural capital protection through regenerative cotton, precision irrigation, watershed restoration, and sustainable sourcing strategies. Collectively, these approaches demonstrate how the global textile industry is translating climate frameworks into practical, context-specific resilience strategies.
In this context, climate adaptation has become a business imperative for sustaining competitiveness, resilience, and long-term growth across the global apparel industry. For textile manufacturers, this includes reducing dependence on freshwater, improving factory resilience to floods and cyclones, protecting workers from heat stress, strengthening biodiversity management, diversifying raw material sourcing, and investing in renewable energy and resource-efficient technologies. The business rationale is increasingly clear. Water shortages interrupt dyeing operations, excessive heat reduces labour productivity, flooding damages factories and logistics, and biodiversity degradation threatens natural fibre production. According to the World Economic Forum, climate-related risks are becoming among the largest long-term threats to global business competitiveness. Consequently, resilience is becoming as important as carbon reduction in determining future sourcing decisions.
Challenges of Financing Climate Adaptation in Textile Manufacturing
Climate resilience is becoming a business imperative for the global textile industry. A key question, however, is who bears the cost of adaptation? Investments in renewable energy, water recycling, climate-resilient infrastructure, advanced wastewater treatment, and resource-efficient technologies require substantial capital. Many manufacturers, particularly small and medium-sized suppliers, operate with thin profit margins and cannot finance these investments alone. Although suppliers are expected to implement climate-resilient measures, the benefits extend across the entire supply chain. These investments strengthen sustainability, improve business continuity, and reduce climate-related risks for global brands. Therefore, the financial responsibility should be shared across the value chain. Leading brands, including Inditex, H&M, Nike, Levi Strauss & Co., Primark, and C&A have expanded supplier support through technical assistance, capacity building, and sustainability programs. However, broader action is still needed. Fair pricing, long-term sourcing commitments, co-investment, sustainability-linked finance, and public–private partnerships are essential to scale climate adaptation. Climate resilience should therefore be recognized as a shared value chain investment rather than a compliance cost for manufacturers alone. Without equitable cost-sharing, many suppliers will struggle to implement the technologies and practices needed to meet global sustainability and responsible sourcing expectations.
Way Forward
Strengthening climate resilience in the global textile and apparel manufacturing sector requires a coordinated transition toward water stewardship, nature-positive practices, climate-smart investments, innovative solutions, sustainable financing, and supportive policy frameworks to ensure long-term competitiveness in a climate-constrained economy.
Key actions include promoting shared responsibility across the value chain by encouraging global brands and manufacturers to collaborate through fair purchasing practices, realistic compliance expectations, long-term sourcing commitments, and joint investments. Climate adaptation financing and partnerships should be strengthened through technical support, sustainability initiatives, and equitable cost-sharing mechanisms.
Manufacturing resilience can be enhanced through efficient water management, wastewater recycling, rainwater harvesting, climate-responsive factory design, worker heat protection, responsible chemical management, sustainable sourcing, biodiversity conservation, circular practices, climate risk assessments, flood and cyclone protection, and business continuity planning.
Governments, industry associations, financial institutions, and development partners should work together to enable technology transfer, climate finance, knowledge sharing, and capacity building. SMEs require targeted support through technical assistance, concessional finance, innovation incentives, and training programs. Integrating climate resilience into corporate governance, investment decisions, supply chain strategies, and risk management will strengthen the sector’s long-term sustainability and competitiveness.
Authors
Mohammad Rabiul Kabir, Associate Professor, Stamford University Bangladesh.
ESG & Sustainability Professional
Farjana Yasmin, Climate Change and Environment Specialist, ETI (Ethical Trading Initiative) Bangladesh.
