Record LEED certifications in 2025 underscore a strategic shift from cost leadership to sustainability leadership in apparel sourcing.
Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) industry has crossed a decisive threshold in its sustainability transition. In 2025, the country secured 38 new LEED-certified green garment factories, the most by any country in a single year, further consolidating its position as the world’s leading hub for environmentally responsible apparel production.
What stands out is not just scale, but ambition. Of the newly certified factories, 22 achieved Platinum status, 11 Gold, and five Silver—with none opting for entry-level certification. The message is clear: Bangladesh’s manufacturers are moving beyond minimum compliance toward high-performance, future-ready industrial infrastructure.
With these additions, Bangladesh now hosts 270 LEED-certified garment factories, including 114 Platinum and 137 Gold units, the largest concentration of top-tier green apparel factories globally. Industry leaders credit this dominance to sustained capital investment, policy alignment, and coordinated leadership by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.
The timing is strategic. As global brands face tightening regulatory, investor, and consumer pressure to decarbonise supply chains, LEED certification has shifted from a reputational bonus to a de facto sourcing requirement. Green-certified factories are increasingly preferred for long-term sourcing commitments and higher-value product categories—an important edge as compliance costs rise across global apparel chains.
Beyond buildings, the milestone signals deeper structural change. According to Mohiuddin Rubel, former BGMEA director, the industry is preparing for the next wave of sustainability governance—from EU environmental regulations and carbon pricing to digital transparency frameworks.
The takeaway: Bangladesh is no longer competing solely on price and scale. By pairing industrial capacity with environmental performance, it is positioning itself not just as the world’s largest apparel exporter—but increasingly, one of its greenest and most resilient.
