How Garment 10 implemented its environmental management system

Archived interview. Job titles, figures, legal procedures, timings and costs reflect the experience at the time of the interview, not current information or universal implementation requirements. The original uses the ISO 14000 family name when discussing environmental management systems.

In the original interview, Garment 10's then General Director, Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen, discussed the company's environmental management experience.

Garment 10 received environmental management certification in 2003. What conditions helped the company achieve certification?

As Vietnam integrated into the WTO, we saw environmental management standards in the ISO 14000 family as a green passport to international markets and committed to implementing them seriously. It required knowledge, funding and time. In our experience at that stage, implementation took about eight to ten months and cost hundreds of millions of Vietnamese dong. We treated that expenditure as an investment, not a loss.

We identified four important conditions for establishing, implementing and obtaining certification of the environmental management system.

1. Leadership commitment

First, leadership direction and commitment. Leaders need to understand the ISO 14000 family, determine applicable requirements, direct implementation, establish environmental policy and objectives, and provide sufficient people, funding and other resources for training and implementation.

2. Employee participation

Second, employees need to understand the purpose of environmental management, recognise their responsibilities and follow the requirements relevant to their work. Their participation is decisive.

3. Technology and equipment

Third, technology and equipment need to allow the organisation to control environmental parameters and meet the applicable regulatory, industry and other requirements.

4. Consulting capability

Fourth, consultants need the capability and experience to guide implementation, supported by professional consulting specialistswith practical environmental experience.

The company underwent certification assessments in 2003 by BVQI and in 2008 by QMS, as recorded in the interview.

What specific environmental protection measures had the company implemented?

We introduced many measures. In 2007, we established an environmental management board to advise the General Director and coordinate environmental activities, rules, action programmes, plans, improvement measures and prevention of environmental risks.

At the time of the interview, the company reported completing the environmental procedures then required, including environmental impact assessment, wastewater discharge licensing, hazardous-waste generator registration and contracts with authorised waste collectors and treatment providers. We arranged environmental monitoring twice a year through competent organisations, with reported results meeting applicable Vietnamese and international standards. Energy-saving investments included replacing conventional lighting with efficient lamps and using evaporative cooling fans in suitable areas instead of air conditioning.

Awareness was equally important because environmental protection affects the wider community. With nearly 10,000 employees working across several provinces and cities, we believed that their understanding could reach at least 30,000 people through their families and communities. Environmental awareness was therefore included in employee recruitment and communication.

Export markets such as the United States, Japan and Europe required strong social and environmental responsibility, so leaders throughout the group had to prepare both their understanding and their actions. We also adapted environmental ideas to local needs: instead of using all available grounds for ornamental lawns, some sites grew vegetables to supplement workers' meals. This approach spread to Hai Phong Veston, Hung Ha and Thieu Do facilities and was adopted by other businesses.

What strategies helped the company respond to international market requirements, including environmental expectations for textile and garment products?

We regarded market requirements as targets for improvement. Before Vietnam joined the WTO, tariffs were prominent barriers for garment exports. The interview described the growing importance of technical and other non-tariff expectations afterward, including customer codes of conduct (COC), country of origin (COO), corporate social responsibility (CSR), US-bound supply-chain security (C-TPAT); and environmental management systems (EMS)..

Our approach was to research markets and partners in advance, rather than simply react to each requirement. Progress also depended on industry and national cooperation and appropriate public policy. We worked with capable domestic and international suppliers because garment quality depends heavily on the quality of incoming materials. We also supported proposals through industry and public authorities to protect Vietnamese consumers and trading interests. Products needed to be environmentally responsible and safe for users, with controls on hazardous substances under the destination market's requirements, such as the EU's REACH framework.

What were the company's future development priorities, particularly for environmental protection?

• Continue the long-term strategy linking business development with environmental responsibility, regarding it as a lasting passport to markets and a responsibility to the community.
• Include specialist environmental advice in investment projects to support long-term stability and international integration.
• Develop environmentally responsible products and packaging and strengthen assessment of input suppliers.
• Provide appropriate funding and resources for environmental work to support long-term, sustainable development.