Exporters need shared responsibility

Pakistan's export-oriented textile, sports goods and leather industries are entering a period in which environmental performance is no longer simply a matter of corporate reputation. It is increasingly becoming a condition for maintaining access to major international markets. For Pakistan, where export competitiveness is already under pressure from energy costs, financing constraints, infrastructure weaknesses and policy uncertainty, the transition to cleaner production could become either a major competitive opportunity or another cost shock depending on how its financial and administrative burden is distributed.