Brandix wins recognition from GBCSL

Tuesday, 6 May 2014 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Brandix Group has been recognised as Sri Lanka’s ‘Organisation Committed to Green’ in 2013 by the Green Building Council of Sri Lanka (GBCSL), the recently-constituted not-for-profit organisation responsible for Green rating buildings and Green labelling products. The award, the first of its kind presented by the Council to a corporate entity, was received by Brandix at a ceremony organised by the GBCSL to recognise companies that have obtained Green building certifications or Green labels for their products. Two buildings received GBCSL Platinum ratings, four received Gold and one Silver, at this event at which Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa was Chief Guest, while two products were accorded Green labels. An award titled ‘Outstanding Professional Committed to Green’ was also presented to the eminent environmentalist and conservationist Prof. Sarath Kotagama. “As one of the pioneers and most inspiring trailblazers in eco-friendly apparel manufacture on the global stage, Brandix is happy to participate in this inaugural awards program of the Green Building Council of Sri Lanka,” Group Director A.J. Johnpillai said. “The development of Sri Lanka’s own GREEN Rating System for buildings and a GREEN Labelling System for products, and the constitution of a council to audit and certify them are important steps in promoting environment-consciousness on a wider scale in our country.” A Brandix factory was the first in the apparel sector worldwide to receive a Platinum rating from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System of the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and the first in the world to obtain ISO 50001 certification for its energy management systems, demonstrating the Group’s leadership in eco-friendly manufacture. In September 2012, the Group set itself the target of reducing its environmental footprint by a further 20% by 2020, and released its maiden Sustainability Report, the first by a private company in Sri Lanka. Eco Index To support this initiative and track its progress, the Brandix Group has developed its own ‘Eco Index’ – an assessment tool which can be used to measure the environmental performance of Brandix factories and offices across the group and facilitates a fair and easy comparison between factories and clusters. The Brandix Eco Index computes percentage reductions in key environmental indicators for Air, Water and Earth as measures are rolled out across group factories to reduce CO2 emissions, energy and water consumption and solid waste disposal. By early 2014, Brandix had achieved scores of 1.7/10 for Air, 3.4/10 for Water and 5.6/10 for Earth and an overall Eco Index score of 3.3/10. Brandix Head of Energy & Environment Management Iresha Somarathna disclosed that the Group is on course to improve on these scores as the year progresses, with the interplay of steps to reduce impacts on the environment and increases in production. Explaining the benefits of the Eco Index as an aid to decision making, as a measuring mechanism and a motivator, Somarathna said Brandix is the first organisation in the Sri Lankan Apparel industry to produce such an application, making the Group a leader and an example for others in the industry, locally and globally. One of the largest suppliers of apparel to top retail brands in the US and Europe, Brandix employs more than 47,000 associates directly, while generating indirect employment to an equivalent number. The Group is supported by 32 integrated manufacturing facilities in Sri Lanka, by a 1,000-acre industrial park operation in India and a large manufacturing facility in Bangladesh and is backed by strategically-located international sourcing offices globally.The Group is a benchmark and international award winner for eco-friendly manufacture and commitment to environmental best practice.