This Sustainability Recommendation Paper (SRP) on Mitigating Heat Stress in the Garment, Footwear, and Travel Goods (GFT) sector aims to strengthen understanding of occupational heat risks and promote practical measures to protect workers, improve productivity, and enhance the long-term resilience of Cambodia’s manufacturing industry. As climate change drives rising temperatures and more frequent extreme heat events across Southeast Asia, heat stress is emerging as a significant environmental, social, and business challenge for the GFT sector.
The GFT sector remains a cornerstone of Cambodia’s economy, employing nearly one million workers and generating USD 15.7 billion in export revenue in 2025. Evidence shows that rising temperatures are already affecting factory conditions, worker health, and productivity, with Phnom Penh experiencing a sharp increase in the number of days exceeding 35°C over the past two decades. As global brands, buyers, governments, and investors place increasing emphasis on climate adaptation, worker wellbeing, and responsible business practices, addressing heat stress is becoming an important component of sustainable and competitive production. This paper therefore provides recommendations for government, factories, buyers, worker organisations, and development partners to strengthen heat resilience, safeguard workers, and ensure the continued competitiveness of Cambodia’s GFT sector in a warming climate.