LAHORE: The Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PRGMEA) has announced that it will represent Pakistan’s value-added apparel sector at the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), to be held from November 9 to 20, 2026, in Antalya, Türkiye. The association aims to promote textile decarbonisation, sustainable manufacturing and international cooperation on climate action.
PRGMEA holds Permanent Observer Organization status under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). At the conference, it intends to highlight the challenges, priorities and sustainability initiatives of Pakistan’s apparel industry, with a focus on emissions reduction, circularity and climate resilience.
Although Pakistan contributes less than 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, it remains highly vulnerable to climate change. This, the association said, underscores the need for international cooperation, climate finance and technology transfer to advance climate resilience and low-carbon industrial growth.
PRGMEA Central Chairman Sohail A Sheikh emphasized the importance of sustainable manufacturing for Pakistan’s export competitiveness. He stressed the need for international partnerships, investment and practical support to help manufacturers meet evolving global sustainability requirements.
Imran Salahuddin, a former PRGMEA chairman and head of the COP31 delegation, highlighted the need to translate climate commitments into factory-level action through energy efficiency, resource optimization, technology adoption and capacity-building. He particularly stressed the importance of supporting Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in reducing emissions and strengthening climate resilience.
Building on its participation in COP30 in Belém, Brazil, PRGMEA continues to promote academia–industry collaboration, credible carbon-footprint assessment, applied research and technical capacity-building to accelerate sustainable production. This work has been carried out under the leadership of Dr Muhammad Ayyaz Uddin, a former chairman of the association.
The association’s initiatives include its De-carbonization Committee, which supports emissions assessment and reduction. It also organized CO2 Talks 2025 with Government College University (GCU) Lahore on World Earth Day, and is now holding the CO2 Talks 2026 Digital Summit to extend the dialogue on textile decarbonisation and sustainability. Through the Apparel & Textile Transformation Initiative (ATTI), SME capacity-building and textile recycling programmes, PRGMEA is also advancing resource efficiency, circularity and sustainable manufacturing.
Ahead of COP31, the association is coordinating with relevant federal and provincial ministries and government departments to strengthen institutional collaboration on climate action. It is also developing partnerships with universities, research institutions and international stakeholders to encourage technical cooperation, youth engagement and industry-led climate solutions.
At COP31, PRGMEA aims to expand international cooperation and promote practical pathways for textile decarbonisation. It also plans to propose a COP31-aligned project that seeks financial assistance and technical support from international partners. The project would equip apparel manufacturers, particularly SMEs, with the expertise and resources needed to advance emissions reduction, climate resilience, resource efficiency and sustainable manufacturing.
Through these efforts, PRGMEA seeks to translate global climate commitments into practical industry-level action and to support a more sustainable future for Pakistan’s value-added apparel sector.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026