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08 January 2024

Discover the first interview of 2024 featuring people that have collaborated with PAGE at a given time. The purpose is to voice experiences, opinions, and insights on how the green economy is evolving and how the green economic transformation is being implemented around the world. Meet Ms. Liu Hui, Deputy Director of Research and Consulting Department of Social Responsibility Office of CNTAC, Member of a council of China Textile Enterprise Association.

In 2015, China joined PAGE at the provincial level. Located on the eastern coast, Jiangsu province is home to approximately 80 million people and is the second richest province in the country. Characterised by a dense network of rivers, lakes and waterways, it has a strong resource base but is faced by several challenges, including high population, environmental degradation, and a reliance on heavy industry.

Promoting an inclusive green economy with decent work through a just transition in the textile and clothing industry

Ms. Liu hui entered the China Textile Information Center from 2004. Then she has successively been the project manager of the marketing department, the assistant director of the industrial development department, and the deputy director of the product business department of the National Textile Product Development Center. In an interview to PAGE, she tells us about the evolution of the inclusive economy in Jiangsu Province with a focus on the textile and garment industry.

Q1. When was your first contact with the PAGE team?

On December 5, 2019, representing the China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC), participated in an event held in Suzhou, which was “Page China Workshop on Green Development PartⅡ: Achieving Green Jobs for Inclusive green Economy and Quality Industrial Development In Jiangsu Suzhou ”, and in the third session of the sub forum “Reflections on the Application of Recycling in Industrial Parks, to share the practice of green circular development in China’s textile and clothing industry parks and industrial clusters. This was the first formal contact with the PAGE project and team.

Q2. What was the IGE perception at that time in the Jiangsu Province and in China? And how it has evolved since then?

The concept of Inclusive Green Economy (IGE) has formed consensus in various parts of China, and the promotion of the IGE development model based on sustainable development concept in the textile and clothing industry started earlier.

In 2005, the China Textile Industry Federation established a dedicated social responsibility office to promote social responsibility management and sustainable development concept throughout the industry, and took the lead in formulating the “CSC9000T (Corporate Sustainability Compact 9000 for Textile and Apparel Industry) to guide the construction of industry social responsibility. In 2018, it positioned technology, fashion, and green as industry development goals.

The Chinese textile and clothing industry is an important industry for people’s livelihood and happiness, as well as a responsibility oriented to green industry. Establishing a sound modern green and low-carbon industrial system and a fair, and responsible industrial value system is an important symbol and basic bottom line for achieving high-quality development of the entire industry.

In 2020, the Chinese government committed to achieving the carbon neutrality target by 2060 and included the “dual carbon” strategic goal in the government report to promote the green development and transformation of industries (i.e. to achieve carbon climax in 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060).

The textile industry is one of the earliest industrial sectors in China to propose carbon neutrality goals. CNTAC has successively launched the “Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) project for sustainable textile full life cycle assessment” and the “30-60 China Textile and Clothing Carbon Neutrality Acceleration Action” Initiative and signed the United Nations Fashion Industry Climate Action Charter. From production and management systems to innovation and marketing systems, more and more textile enterprises are taking sustainable development as their overall and global strategy.

Jiangsu is one of the important birthplaces of China's textile industry. Currently, the province's textile industry has more than 7200 large-scale industrial enterprises and nearly 1 million employees, forming a complete industrial chain from fibers, spinning, weaving, printing and dyeing to clothing, home textiles, industrial textiles, and textile machinery and equipment.

Q3. What are the challenges and opportunities for a province like Jiangsu Province and why? 

Since the reform and opening up, the clothing industry in Jiangsu has developed rapidly based on geographical, economic, and geographical advantages, forming an industrial chain development path with “downstream driving upstream” as the core feature. Not only are there many leading clothing brands in the industry, but also many nationally renowned industrial clusters such as “Nantong Home Textile”, “Changshu Clothing”, and “Wujiang Silk” have been developed. By leveraging the cluster effect, Jiangsu’s textile and clothing industry has continuously built competitive advantages. After three years of the impact of the COVID-19 on economic development, the current world economic situation is turbulent, the global market demand is sluggish, and the development of Jiangsu’s textile and clothing industry faces both challenges and opportunities.

Challenges:

  • The first is the decline in the export market, resulting in a decrease in orders. Some companies are transferring to Southeast Asia, South Asia, or Africa;
  • The second is that domestic factors such as labor and raw material prices continue to rise, leading to increased costs for enterprises;
  • Thirdly, the age of manufacturing workers is increasing, and the number of young employed people is decreasing.
  • The fourth is that the goal of carbon neutrality has led to increased investment in environmental protection, resulting in short-term cost increases. Green development poses long-term challenges to the development model of traditional manufacturing industries.

Opportunities:

  • There are numerous excellent enterprises with a solid foundation in the primary industry.
  • Jiangsu is one of the important birthplaces of China’s textile industry. Currently, the province’s textile industry has more than 7200 large-scale industrial enterprises and nearly 1 million employees, forming a complete industrial chain from fibers, spinning, weaving, printing and dyeing to clothing, home textiles, industrial textiles, and textile machinery and equipment. The foundation of textile industry is solid.
  • Furthermore, government policy support should encourage the construction of high-quality modern industrial clusters, actively promote digital and intelligent technologies, and attach importance to innovation driven development.

 

Q4. How the work done in Jiangsu Province can inspire other regions in China?

The objectives of PAGE to promote an inclusive green economy with decent work through a just transition is highly in line with the promotion of the textile and clothing industry to improve the level of corporate social responsibility management, continuously promote sustainable development throughout the industry, and lead enterprises to shift towards green development models.  Specifically, the collaboration contributed toward the achievement of the CNTAC inspirations set by the President:

  • Firstly, clarify development goals and improve work mechanisms.
  • Secondly, establish a work path and find work methods.
  • Thirdly, strengthen international cooperation and promote integrated development.

The approach established by PAGE will be taken as reference for the industry’s green development throughout the country.

The CNTAC continuously promotes the construction of social responsibility and green, low-carbon, and circular development models throughout the industry, reshapes new paths of industry value chain, and takes active actions in comprehensively promoting the green transformation of the industry, achieving significant results.

Q5. How do you see your engagement in the efforts for the green economic transition?

On 18 November 2020, an online discussion was conducted on Just Transition in the Textile Sector in China through Social Dialogue, co-hosted by ILO and CNTAC under PAGE and in partnership with the ILO-SIDA regional project on Decent Work in Garment Supply Chains in Asia. The discussion analysed the impact of COVID-19 on the textile and garment sector in China (within the broader global and regional context) and put forward the development visions of the sector’s green transition toward environmental sustainability and circularity. At the webinar, I introduced the prospects and pathway to realize the sustainable development of the sector toward an innovation-driven technology industry, culture-led fashion industry and responsibility-oriented green industry, which makes effective contribution to the global green recovery of the textile and garment sector.

In 2021, CNTAC and ILO jointly held a special forum on Just Transition in the Textile and Garment Sector – International Summit on Green Development and Just Transition & Capacity building for industry actors, with the support of PAGE . This forum also received strong support from Humen Town, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, home to one of the major textile and garment clusters in the country. The event was a complete success, which provided a platform for the participants to share knowledge and exchange views, and proposed the pathways of green development and a just transition of the industry in China, Asia and worldwide.

The workshop was also part of the 2022 PAGE China Academy on Accelerating the Transition to Inclusive Green Economy: Synergy Between Pollution Control and Carbon Reduction, 14-18 November 2022, showcasing the pathway of a just transition toward a low carbon economy from a sectoral approach. I was the CNTAC focal point for collaboration with ILO on the preparation and organization of this forum.

CNTAC continuously promotes the construction of social responsibility and green, low-carbon, and circular development models throughout the industry, reshapes new paths of industry value chain, and takes active actions in comprehensively promoting the green transformation of the industry, achieving significant results. There are currently over 200 textile and clothing industry clusters in China, including a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises or small and micro enterprises. In addition, there are many industrial clusters in the central and western regions, and the level of social responsibility management and green sustainable development capabilities need to be improved. The Humen event set a good example of promoting a just transition toward inclusive green economy through capacity building of industrial stakeholders. We hope that similar PAGE projects can continue and deepen cooperation with different industries for long-term promotion.

Q6. What is the strength of a programme like PAGE?

PAGE partner countries receive services for policy development and implementation, capacity building and financing for inclusive green economy transitions, tailored to their individual needs and circumstances. It allows each country to develop its own pathway to an economy that is low-carbon, resource-efficient and equitable.

The advantages of this project are reflected in:

  • Firstly, promote international cooperation, facilitate dialogue among stakeholders, and achieve understanding and coordinated development. Sustainable development has become a global value consensus, and promoting the comprehensive green transformation of the textile and clothing industry will become a trend and an important strategy.
  • Secondly, based on local governments and deeply involved in industries, especially manufacturing, to enhance the sustainable development capacity and level of local enterprises.
  • Thirdly, currently, under the combined effects of climate disasters, geopolitical conflicts, economic recession, and the ongoing impact of COVID-19, global development is facing severe challenges, highlighting the necessity of international cooperation and strict environmental governance.
  • Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) in China

    In China, ILO worked with China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC) and other national constituents on promoting green jobs and just transition in the textile and garment sector.

  • Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) in China

    In China, ILO worked with China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC) and other national constituents on promoting green jobs and just transition in the textile and garment sector.

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