Textile and Garment Industries of Bangladesh altogether consume a significant level of energy. The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Master Plan 2015 of the Government of Bangladesh and different energy audits conducted at textile and garment industries substantiate ample energy saving opportunities at these industries. While these energy saving opportunities are both technically and economically viable, these measures are often not implemented due to lack of knowledge and capacities of the industries. Against this backdrop, REEEP II, GIZ, in collaboration with the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS), and Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) organized a training on “Energy Management and Audit under ISO 50001:2018” at BRAC CDM, Rajendrapur during 9-11 October, 2019. A second batch of training was conducted in the first week of November 2021. Technical experts of 22 top-tier textile and garment industries participated in the trainings. The training covered, among other things, the basics of EnMS, detailed steps to be followed for EnMS implementation, energy baseline determination, energy consumption review process, monitoring system, PDCA cycle etc. The trainings provided the participants with knowledge on energy management system and hands on experience of developing energy efficiency roadmap / action plan for industries. Based on that, the trainees are expected to spearhead the initiation of energy management system at respective industries..

The training was part of the broader collaboration between SREDA and BGMEA, as stipulated in the MOU signed between them in April 2021. The objective has been to spearhead energy efficiency and renewable energy promotion in the country while contributing to the country’s goal of climate change mitigation, stipulated in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). As garment and textile sector combinedly accounts for quite a substantial share of overall industrial energy consumption and the sector significantly influences the GDP of Bangladesh, capacity development of the sector on energy management system can prove to be vital..