Textile Industry is Preparing for Integration with the European Union

The URGE project “Improving Sustainable Competition in the Textile Sector” by the Aegean Textile and Raw Materials Exporters Association (ETHIB) is carried out with the support of the Ministry of Commerce in order to improve the capacities of 18 member companies within the scope of the sustainability theme.

The textile industry, which is among Turkey’s most value-added export sectors, has accelerated its efforts to increase sustainable exports in the Aegean Region. Aegean Textile and Raw Materials Exporters Association Chairman of the Board of Directors Jak Eskinazi, reminded that the global renewable energy installed capacity must triple by 2030 in order to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and said:

This makes the next six years critical in the climate fight. Among major economies, China stands out as the only country on track to achieve the 2030 renewable energy target. Many countries, including large electricity consumers such as the United States, the European Union, China, India and the United Kingdom, which are parties to the Paris Agreement, have set ambitious targets to increase their solar and wind energy production capacities by 2030. These claims have become even deeper with the Green Deal. But data shows that many are struggling to keep up with the annual capacity additions necessary to meet those goals. China not only achieved the required target in 2022, but also significantly exceeded it. However, other countries are far from these targets. The United States, the European Union, China, India and the United Kingdom collectively account for more than 60 percent of global electricity consumption.”

Customers increasingly choose sustainable products

Stating that companies feel the pressure to be sustainable more and more every day, President Eskinazi emphasized that as customers increasingly prefer sustainable products, companies that want to reduce their carbon footprints want their suppliers to be more transparent about their sustainability efforts.

Textile exporters have an intense sustainability agenda

Jak Eskinazi, “Corporate Carbon Footprint consultancy service was provided to our participating companies as the first step in determining a low or zero carbon strategy. As a next step, LCA consultancy service is provided based on our demand and needs analysis result report from our companies’ customers. We aim to ensure that our companies are prepared for the developments that will occur within the scope of the European Union Green Deal and the sustainability-related practices and developments experienced in other markets” concluded his words.