Sri Lanka’s apparel industry has embarked on a transformative journey with the launch of the Improving Transparency for Sustainable Business (ITSB) initiative—an ESG-driven program designed to uplift sustainability practices and global reporting standards within the sector.
Launched on July 16, 2025, in Colombo, the inaugural capacity-building session brought together over 100 participants from textile and apparel businesses—spanning multinational enterprises and SMEs—as well as government stakeholders, investor groups, and academic institutions . Convened by organizations including GRI South Asia, the Sustainable Development Council of Sri Lanka (SDC), the Export Development Board (EDB), and the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF), and supported by Sweden’s SIDA, the initiative aims to embed global ESG standards across the industry .
Under the ITSB framework, participating firms will be trained to adopt GRI Standards for transparent reporting on key issues, including labor practices, energy usage, economic impact, and waste management . The program also features workshops on materiality, stakeholder engagement, and a briefing on the forthcoming GRI Textiles & Apparel Sector Standard (2025)—positioning Sri Lanka at the forefront of sector-specific ESG compliance in South Asia .
With apparel contributing over 40% of Sri Lanka’s export revenue and employing approximately 350,000 people, the ITSB initiative represents a strategic enhancement to the sector’s resilience, global competitiveness, and investor readiness . It aligns with Sri Lanka’s national action plan for inclusive and sustainable business development and addresses growing global regulatory demands, including the EU’s due diligence rules .
Looking ahead, the ITSB program will expand to India and Bangladesh later this year, making Sri Lanka an early mover in sustainability reporting and traceability standards across the region.
