Asia apparel hubs face $65 billion export hit from extreme weather, study shows

Extreme heat and flooding could erase $65 billion in apparel export earnings from four Asian countries by 2030, as workers struggle under high temperatures and factories close, research from Schroders and Cornell University showed on Wednesday. The study also mapped out the supply chains of six unidentified global apparel brands operating in the four countries studied - Bangladesh, Cambodia, Pakistan and Vietnam - and found all six would be hit materially. There are some [apparel] brands not disclosing the factory locations of their suppliers," said Angus Bauer, Schroders' head of sustainable investment research. Using projections, the researchers analysed future heat and flooding levels to estimate what would happen under a "climate adaptive" scenario and a "high heat and flooding" scenario. Flooding will also force factories to close in the four countries, which account for 18% of global apparel exports and employ 10.6 million workers in apparel and footwear factories.