Germany introduced its Partnership for Sustainable Textiles initiative on Wednesday at the joint booth of the German Embassy in Hanoi and the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation in an international exhibition of machinery and materials for the garment industry in Hanoi. The government of Germany aims to provide information related to the pioneering work of the alliance so that interested Vietnamese firms can take part, the German Embassy said in a press release.

The Partnership for Sustainable Textiles was established at the request of the German Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development, Gerd Mueller, in Berlin last year. The initiative, gathering German representatives from multiple economic sectors, federal government agencies and unions, aims to improve the social, ecological and economic supply chain of the garment and textile industry, the release said.

But the real focus of the alliance’s objectives is on textile products being manufactured in better ecological and social conditions. The essence of the alliance’s work is the realisation of projects in the countries involved in garment and textile manufacturing, especially in Asia, and highlighting the unique role textile and garment enterprises have in Vietnam and other regional countries. Without suppliers of very high quality materials in Vietnam and other Asian countries, the final goal of the alliance cannot be reached, said the release.

The Partnership for Sustainable Textiles pays special attention to Vietnam, as the garment and textile industry of the Southeast Asian nation, which is the world’s fourth-largest exporter, makes up 3.7 percent of the global market. The industry accounts for about eight percent of gross domestic product in Vietnam as well as 13-15 percent of the total export value of the country. There are 5,000 Vietnamese companies operating in the industry with 2.5 million employees, according to the release.