Footwear businesses are facing significant pressure to "green" their production.

Greening production is a mandatory requirement today; however, meeting this requirement is difficult as domestic footwear businesses still face many challenges.

The company has implemented "greening" measures.

At the seminar on "Greening the Textile and Footwear Supply Chain" organized by the Industry and Trade Magazine on the morning of October 28th, Ms. Phan Thi Thanh Xuan - Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Leather and Footwear Association - informed that the leather and footwear industry is highly integrated, therefore, meeting sustainability standards has been implemented by businesses in the industry, especially large enterprises. However, previously, the requirements for sustainable development were mainly set by brands, but now they have been codified in the industry's main markets such as the US and EU…

The seminar "Driving Force for Greening the Textile and Footwear Supply Chain," organized by the Industry and Trade Magazine, was held on the morning of October 28th. (Photo: Industry and Trade Magazine)

For example, in the EU market, several laws have been enacted, such as the supply chain audit law and the anti-deforestation law. In the near future, a series of new laws on expanded producer responsibility, eco-labeling, eco-design, etc., will be enacted. “ This is one of the biggest challenges for the footwear industry, as this market accounts for a large proportion of the industry’s exports ,” Ms. Xuan said.

The footwear industry is a fashion industry, therefore there are differences in the green supply chain, and development must begin from the very first stage: design. Ms. Xuan cited Nike as an example, stating that Nike has established 10 rules for design, aiming to ensure that from the initial concept stage, manufacturers prioritize environmentally friendly materials and control the entire production process to minimize emissions and allow for the reuse of materials and components.

Brands themselves must make global commitments to reduce emissions and ensure the greening of the entire supply chain. As suppliers to global brands, Vietnamese businesses are compelled to green their production. This serves as both an incentive and a pressure on domestic footwear businesses.

The leaders of the Vietnam Leather and Footwear Association also stated that domestic leather and footwear businesses, especially large enterprises and those with foreign investment, have taken the lead in greening their production chains, such as: innovating technology, using clean materials; participating in processes for assessment and certification globally, such as LEED certification...

Clear solutions are still needed.

Nevertheless, Ms. Xuan believes that there are still many challenges in the green transformation of businesses. The biggest bottleneck is the lack of comprehensive solutions and guidance for businesses in the process of sustainable development, from establishing green criteria to the entire implementation process, supporting businesses to enhance their internal capacity in terms of both resources and human resources in order to achieve sustainable and successful green transformation.

Footwear businesses are facing significant pressure to "green" their production. Photo: TH

The development strategy for the textile, garment, and footwear industries until 2030, with a vision to 2035, addresses green transformation and the development of a circular economy for the footwear industry. This strategy also outlines very clear specific and overall goals.

To achieve these goals, an action plan is needed, which includes issuing policies to encourage businesses and building a consistent system of standards and regulations. " Only with a comprehensive solution can we gain a holistic view and build a clear system of conditions and standards, giving businesses a basis to understand and implement them accurately, " Ms. Xuan emphasized.

The leaders of the Vietnam Leather and Footwear Association also expressed their hope that the Ministry of Industry and Trade would act as a coordinating body with businesses to develop an action plan to help businesses strengthen their internal capabilities and move towards sustainable development in the coming time.

From the perspective of a policy research unit, Dr. Nguyen Van Hoi - Director of the Institute for Strategic and Policy Research in Industry and Trade, Ministry of Industry and Trade, stated that in the next 5-10 years, the Strategy for the Development of the Textile, Garment, and Footwear Industries until 2030, with a vision to 2035, approved by the Prime Minister, must be effectively implemented. The strategy sets out many goals and directions for development, but the clear principle is that state management agencies must work alongside businesses.

To implement this strategy, it is necessary to develop, refine, amend, and supplement relevant mechanisms and policies. In addition, the energy policy mechanism needs to be improved to help businesses access green and clean energy sources in accordance with requirements and commitments.

In terms of foreign relations, state management agencies, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and other relevant management agencies negotiate and exchange information with partners to develop sets of criteria, standards, or regulations to guide businesses in accessing international markets more easily.

“ We must negotiate directly and frankly in order to provide information and support businesses in accessing greening criteria and green standard requirements in textile and footwear products ,” emphasized Dr. Nguyen Van Hoi.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/doanh-nghiep-da-giay-chiu-nhieu-suc-ep-trong-xanh-hoa-san-xuat-355289.html