Textile industry needs to use alternative energy: speakers

KARACHI: The speakers at panel discussion on Tuesday said country’s textile industry needs to use alternative energy to maintain sustainability and growth in the exports

They were speaking at panel discussion, organized by Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Dr. Rüdiger Lotz, in collaboration with the Goethe Institut Karachi and GIZ Pakistan.

German Consul General invited some of the major exhibitors and visitors of Heimtextil 2024 for a Panel Discussion to recap their experience at one of the most important global events for interior textiles, interior design and interior trends.

With its new products and trends, Heimtextil is organized every year and gives important impulses to both exhibiting companies and professional visitors from all over the world.

With a representation of over 272 companies, Pakistan was the fourth largest exhibiting country at Heimtextil Frankfurt 2024.

The panel discussion focused at important issues such as renewable energy & innovative

technologies to transform the textile industry, Net Zero , reducing carbon emissions, phasing out coal and other fossil fuels as well as Zero liquid discharge (ZLD).

Zaki Bashir, CEO Gul Ahmed Textile said that maximum utilization of RE sources is imperative as Pakistan is one of the ten vulnerable countries, impacted by climate change and need to move towards RE and new technologies in this sector.

Hassan Tabba, CEO Yunus Textile Mills emphasized the need for maximum exploitation of RE sources to reduce the cost of energy in the textile sector as in the exiting high energy cost, Pakistan would be lagging behind the competitors.

Fawad Anwar , CEO Al Karam Textile said that Pakistan as a country already started the work late in RE area and needs to catch up with the demands of textile sector in terms reducing the cost of energy for sustainability and growth.

Yulia Bazhenova , Head of Projects GIZ said that sustainability in Pakistan textile sector can only be come through cost cutting measures and energy cost reduction is the key element in it. She noted that international regulations also warrants Pakistan textile sector to be more competitive. She said that competitiveness of the sector is not only limited to big firms but small and medium companies are also required to reduce the cost of production.

Zulfiqar Shah, Country Manager Pakistan Accord urged that efforts for RE should be taken up with the government for policy formulation and said there his institution is ready to help the textile and garments sector to comply with the RE needs.

The discussion was concluded by summarizing what EU and Germany can do for the abovementioned focus areas and to help facilitate the transition to net zero.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024