Bangladesh's RMG sector, one of the world's largest clothing exporters, is at a turning point. Global buyers are raising the bar on sustainability, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance, and supply-chain transparency, while workers, particularly women, continue to face limited opportunities for skills development and career growth. Small and medium factories, which form the backbone of the sector, often lack the technical expertise and financial capacity needed to keep pace.
For many factories, this transition carries real stakes. Thin margins, limited access to modern technology, and rising buyer expectations make it harder to remain competitive in a crowded global market. Bangladesh’s LDC graduation and tightening sustainability requirements are adding further pressure as global supply chains move towards greater carbon transparency, traceability and environmental responsibility, with smaller and lower-tier suppliers particularly exposed.
At the same time, growing private-sector engagement is creating opportunities to share responsibility for the sector’s transformation. With PROGRESS, Primark is co-financing the development of a Management Trainee Officer programme, designed to create structured management career pathways for young professionals, particularly women, within RMG factories.
PROGRESS is part of the broader Climate Action for Local Level (CALL) initiative, through which nine Swiss NGOs in Bangladesh have collaborated to design a comprehensive framework of 12 projects focused on disaster preparedness and climate resilience. PROGRESS contributes to CALL's overarching goals by promoting green growth, resilient employment and sustainable transformation within one of Bangladesh's most economically significant sectors.
Swisscontact, through PROGRESS, strengthens Bangladesh’s Ready-Made Garments (RMG) sector by developing workforce skills, advancing women’s leadership and accelerating green, ESG-driven competitiveness through locally sustainable solutions.
PROGRESS strengthens factory-owned skills and management systems to increase productivity, reduce operational waste and costs, and create stronger career pathways, particularly for women. It embeds continuous improvement and resource efficiency into day-to-day factory operations through:
PROGRESS supports factories to move towards science-based decarbonisation and net-zero preparedness, helping them understand their environmental footprint, identify practical reduction pathways, and make informed sustainability investments. Alongside environmental performance, the project strengthens ESG transparency and workplace systems so factories can respond to evolving market, buyer and regulatory expectations. To support decarbonisation and ESG actions, PROGRESS supports:
PROGRESS strengthens the local resource base for the RMG sector’s green transition by connecting factories with local advisory firms and national and international academic expertise. It builds a durable talent, knowledge and service ecosystem that can develop and deliver sustainability solutions beyond project support through:
Since 2022, PROGRESS has delivered measurable results across factories and workers in Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, and Chattogram. As the project enters its final phase, it is broadening its reach across the wider RMG supply chain, including textiles, accessories, packaging, and recycling factories, with a growing focus on digitalisation, green finance, women's leadership, and knowledge partnerships with academia and global brands.