Assessment of Sustainable Development in Apparel Value Chains

Inspired by the United Nation’s Sustainability Development goals for responsible consumption and production, this final year two-student team thesis was conducted across six convenience sampled textiles and apparels companies in Karachi, Pakistan, as exploratory research. Interviews of purposively sampled personnel from these companies were assessed on their awareness on sustainability and the initiatives taken to develop infrastructures in alignment with green value chain standards and sustainable product. The instrument used is an unstructured questionnaire developed by the student researchers from adopted aspects of the Global Reporting Initiative standards. The use of thematic analysis and Greening Goliaths vs Emerging Davids Sustainability Matrix was further essential in this study’s potential in proposing green marketing strategy (GMS) to the Ministry of Textile Industry, and the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association. The study brought to light the detriments to market penetration of sustainable textiles and apparels in Pakistan, namely the economy, and consumer behavior. Conclusively, the student researchers found that the textiles industry in Pakistan was well developed along global sustainable goals but demand for sustainable apparel stemmed from developed nations owing to their consumer’s awareness on the implications of inorganic derived apparels on the environment.