Cornell University mobile logo
Dignity factory workers producing shirts for overseas clients, in Accra, Ghana

Cooling Before It Got Cool: Case Studies in Heat Adaptation in Southeast Asian Factories

Heat Adaptation in Apparel Factories

A new examination of how apparel factories are adapting to extreme heat while investing in cooling, automation, and climate resilience strategies.

A thermal image of a worker at a station in a garment factory, showing the high heat levels through brighter orange colors at their workstation.
Read more

The Dindigul Agreement to End Gender-based Violence and Harassment

Has It Worked?

This is GLI’s official final assessment of the Dindigul Agreement to End Gender-Based Violence and Harassment at a South Indian apparel factory that could be a model for other factories around the world. 

Large room of garment factory workers
Read more

Global Labor Institute's Climate-Labor Work

GLI Climate-Labor Research

See all of our analyses on the intersection of labor rights and climate change.

GLI climate workers webinar
Read GLI's Climate-Labor Work

Measuring Supply Chain Due Diligence

Labor Outcomes Metrics

Read about the Global Labor Institute's new quantitative metrics that measure labor outcomes—actual impacts for workers.

Workers in Bangladesh
Read more about Measuring Supply Chain Due Diligence

Latest Research and Events

Live Debate: Repeat, Regain or Re-negotiate? The post-COVID future of global apparel

Cornell NCP hosts a live virtual debate on Tuesday, October 12 on NCP's new paper on the future of the apparel industry: 'Repeat, Regain or Re-negotiate?' The analyses track apparel industry concentration, climate crisis impacts, automation, shifting sourcing patterns and public-vs-private regulation for three post-pandemic scenarios.
Women in India
Live Debate: Repeat, Regain or Re-negotiate? The post-COVID future of global apparel

Social Dialogue in the 21st Century Project Reports

The Social Dialogue in the 21st Century Project published ten country reports - plus the NCP Synthesis Report - on obstacles to social dialogue in the global garment supply chain.
World map with Mexico, Honduras, Bulgaria, Ethiopia, India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia highlighted in red.
Social Dialogue in the 21st Century Project Reports

NCP Workshops and Training Programs

NCP launches live workshops and training programs for various stakeholders in the sustainability eco-system regarding labor standards in global supply chains. These workshops and courses are relevant to global corporations, auditing firms, NGOs, consulting companies, labor unions, and others.
Bolts of colorful fabric rolled and piled together
NCP Workshops and Training Programs

Research on “Better Work” Cambodia

The Better Work program offers an innovative alternative to improving working conditions in developing country apparel factories
Missing alt
Research on “Better Work” Cambodia

Draft Working Paper (ILO/GLI) "Beneath the surface: Review of literature and initiatives for identification of forced labour in fishing" (2020)

This Working Paper drafted with support from ILO Fundamentals identifies and brings together what is already known about obstacles to identifying fishers in forced labour and key knowledge gaps in this regard.
Philippine fisherman surrounded by buoys
Draft Working Paper (ILO/GLI) "Beneath the surface: Review of literature and initiatives for identification of forced labour in fishing" (2020)

Social Sustainability in Global Supply Chains: An Empirical Investigation of Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining

In this article, we seek empirical answers to two research questions: a) What are the typical violations of FOA and CB rights in global supply chains that must be corrected for workers to exercise their voice?
Dignity factory workers producing shirts for overseas clients, in Accra, Ghana
Social Sustainability in Global Supply Chains: An Empirical Investigation of Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining

In The News

Media Mentions

Bangladesh Sourcing Report Challenges Cheap Hub Narrative

Sustainable Business Magazine
The report “Higher Ground? Report 1: Fashion’s Climate Breakdown and Its Effect for Workers,” which was co-published by ILR’s Global Labor Institute, is referenced in this article about various challenges and solutions for the Bangladesh garment industry.
Bangladesh Sourcing Report Challenges Cheap Hub Narrative

Knitting Industry

A report from the Global Labor Institute, “Higher Ground? Report 1: Fashion’s Climate Breakdown and Its Effect for Workers,” is referenced in this article, which warns that without climate adaptation efforts, Bangladesh’s apparel export earnings could be around 22% lower by 2030 and 68% lower by 2050.
Knitting Industry

Top fashion brands have a supply chain battle against extreme India heat

Economic Times
A report co-created by ILR’s Global Labor Institute, “The Heat is On: How heat stress impacts the apparel industry, jobs, and worker health,” is referenced in this article about problems and solutions related to high temperatures in the garment manufacturing workplace. [Syndicated from Bloomberg]
Top fashion brands have a supply chain battle against extreme India heat

Gap Inc. Expands Human Rights And Gender Equality Efforts

Textile Insights
A report, “The Dindigul Agreement to End Gender-based Violence and Harassment Has It Worked?”, by Sarosh Kuruvilla, ILR professor and academic director of the Global Labor Institute, is referenced in this article.
Gap Inc. Expands Human Rights And Gender Equality Efforts

How Fashion Manufacturers Are Tackling Extreme Heat

Vogue
“You could start easily just by having cheap thermometers and logging to see what your indoor air temperatures and humidity levels are throughout a day and throughout a year,” observes Sarah Krasley, visiting fellow at ILR’s Global Labor Institute, pointing out that inexpensive equipment can provide data about conditions.
How Fashion Manufacturers Are Tackling Extreme Heat

Garment workers face heat risks in Bangladesh as energy cuts curb cooling

The Japan Times
A 2023 study by ILR’s Global Labor Institute is referenced in this article about problems and solutions for cooling garment workers on hot days; the study estimates significant job and income losses for the apparel industry if heat risks are not addressed. [Syndicated from Reuters]
Garment workers face heat risks in Bangladesh as energy cuts curb cooling