Sustainable Development: The Expected Future of China's Textile and Garment Industry

On June 29th, 2012, the “2012 Annual Meeting on Social Responsibility of China's Textile and Apparel Industry and the Joint Press Conference of China's Textile and Apparel Corporate Social Responsibility Report” sponsored by China Textile Industry Federation was held in Shanghai. With the theme of sustainable development, the conference comprehensively summed up the social responsibility work of the textile and apparel industry from 2011 to 2012, and proposed the sustainable development of the Chinese textile and apparel industry in accordance with the requirements for social responsibility work in the "Twelfth Five-Year Development Plan of the textile industry." With new ideas and work plans, Eleven companies, including Blum, Bosideng, Hongtai, Danmao, Hongdou, Xiake, Jingwei, Nanshan, Tiannuo, Hengtian and Honglulanlan, jointly released their social responsibility reports.

Zhu Hongren, member of the Party Committee and Chief Engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and Wang Tiankai, Chairman of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, addressed the conference. Sun Ruizhe, Vice President of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, made a keynote speech for the conference. The State-owned Assets Management Committee of the State Council has contacted the industry association. Zhang Tao, deputy director of the office, Shao Zhiqing, deputy director of Shanghai Municipal Economic and Information Committee, Zhang Peirong, deputy head of the People's Government of Songjiang District of Shanghai, and Ms Viktoria Li, counselor of the Political Office of the Swedish Embassy in Beijing attended the meeting and delivered speeches. Vice Chairman of the Party Committee of the China Textile Industry Federation and Deputy Secretary-General Chen Weikang presided over the meeting.

In his speech, Zhu Hong, Chief Engineer, gave positive affirmation to the China Textile Industry Federation (hereinafter referred to as China Textile Federation) for its extensive and in-depth development of social responsibility in the industry over the years and the remarkable achievements it has made in promoting healthy and sustainable development of the industry. , And hope that China Textile Federation will continue to play the guiding and coordinating role of industry associations, and jointly with a wider range of stakeholders to jointly research and formulate long-term, balanced solutions to promote the industry to the low-carbon, green, sustainable development At the same time, it is hoped that all relevant departments, brands, suppliers and the public will actively participate and work together to shoulder corresponding social responsibilities.

In his speech, Chairman Wang Tiankai pointed out that in the current and even the 12th five-year period, opportunities and challenges coexist. In the face of the deterioration of the external macro environment, entrepreneurs should actively face adjustments, adjust market expectations, change market structure, and adjust supply chain structure. Improve labor productivity, and at the same time, increase awareness of risk management and strengthen innovation capabilities, especially brand planning and investment, and comprehensively strengthen social responsibility construction.

In his speech, Wang Tiankai requested the entire industry to thoroughly implement the scientific development concept, actively implement the “12th Five-Year Development Plan of the textile industry” as a powerful country, insist on accelerating the transformation of economic development as the main line, and take structural adjustment and industrial upgrading as The direction of the main attack, with independent innovation, brand building and the integration of the two as the important support, to improve the value chain and achieve sustainable development as an important focal point, the development of structural optimization, advanced technology, green environmental protection, high added value, attracting strong employability The modern textile industry system lays a more solid foundation for the realization of a strong textile industry.

Vice President Sun Ruizhe stated in the keynote speech “Sustainable Development: The Future of China's Textile and Garment Industry Expectations”: “The industry’s social responsibility work is not only a necessary method for achieving sustainable development, but also a kind of sustainable development. Important goal."

Sun Ruizhe said: From the perspective of responsibility, China's textile and apparel industry has microscopic, meso-, and macro-level missions.

First, at the micro level, the industry should guarantee the rights and interests of workers, equal opportunities and dignity, and achieve decent work. At the same time, it should also provide adequate and quality products to improve the quality of life and quality of consumption. This is right for people, mainly labor. Responsibilities of consumers and consumers;

From the meso level, we should maintain and improve the environment and increase the effective output rate of resources; we must advocate normative and sustainable industrial order and social values, and promote the rule of law and civilization of the market and society. This is our response to the environment. And the responsibilities of Chinese society;

Finally, at the macro level, the textile and clothing industry is an employment-intensive industry, because we also have the responsibility to provide, maintain and promote employment, protect people's livelihood and national harmony, and at the same time, given that China's textile and garment industry is in the global textile and clothing supply chain. In the important position of China, we also have the responsibility to stabilize and optimize the international supply chain and value chain so that Chinese manufacturing can benefit the people of the world. This is our responsibility to the international community. It can be seen that the responsibility of our industry is "three dimensions" on the "three levels." Here, the three dimensions are three unpalatable aspects of the "Rio Consensus" on sustainable development: economy, society, and the environment.

Sun Ruizhe believes that the responsibility and challenge of circulation and consumption are the fields that have the greatest impact on the development of the industry in the coming period of time. However, these issues do not seem to receive sufficient attention for a long time.

How to strengthen the sustainable construction of the industry in the future, Sun Ruizhe proposed: "Strengthen the management system to promote, increase corporate economic performance; strengthen disclosure of responsibility information, optimize corporate social performance; strengthen the full value chain collaboration, improve corporate environmental performance," he said. : Our goal is to achieve social, environmental and economic sustainable development through the efforts of the entire industry.