Bangladesh has strengthened its position as the global leader in green apparel factories, with the number of such factories with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the United States of Green Building Council (USGBC) now at 187.

KDS IDR, a subsidiary of Chattogram-based KDS Group, is the latest to adopt the new generation of factories.

On February 1, they got the platinum certification with a score of 84 out of 100, BGMEA Director Md Mohiuddin Rubel said Monday.

"Among the top 100 green factory units, 50 are from Bangladesh. And among the top 10, eight are from here as well," he added.

Four factory units already achieved the LEED certification in 2023.

Amanat Shah Fabrics of Narsingdi's Panchdona received this year's first LEED certification from the USGBC.

Of the 187 green-certified factories in Bangladesh, 63 are platinum-rated, 110 gold-rated, 10 silver-rated, and four are green-certified, according to the USGBC.

The USGBC honours factories based on several criteria – transformation performance, energy, water, and waste management being some of the most prominent. The best performers are rated with platinum, followed by gold and silver.

Read more: Another Bangladeshi factory, Amanat Shah, gets global green recognition