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Tuesday, 31 May 2016 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Leading condiment food products exporter and the country’s first such manufacturer to obtain Carbon Conscious and Water Conscious certifications for its operations, HJS Condiments Ltd. – part of the Hayleys Group, recently renewed the said certifications for a second consecutive year. The certifications were awarded by The Carbon Consulting Company (CCC) following the conduct of independent audits.
Carbon Conscious and Water Conscious are part of the proprietary Conscious range of certification programs developed by CCC following international standards and protocols for the measurement, management and mitigation/enhancement of environmental sustainability focus areas such as Carbon, Water, Waste and Biodiversity.
From left: Commercial Hayleys Agriculture Manager Ajitha Y. Perera, Hayleys Agriculture Head Strategic Bus Development Samudra Rajapakshe, Hayleys Agriculture Managing Director M. Rizvi Zaheed, Carbon Consulting Company Manager Sustainable Development and Strategy Glenn Sonntag, Carbon Consulting Company CEO Sanith De S. Wijeyeratne, Carbon Consulting Company Associate, Sustainability Solutions Shermila Weragoda
As per the guarantee given by HJS Condiments to be a more sustainable business entity, they have signed up for a three-year program to frequently measure, manage and mitigate their environmental footprint. In the past year, the company has successfully set up a customised framework, which includes separate carbon and water management plans and an in-house ‘Sustainability Team’who are responsible for keeping consumption and wastage amounts in check at reduced levels.
Hayleys Agriculture Managing Director Rizvi Zaheed said that whilst the company seeks to grow its business portfolio in food and agriculture, this would be done in a completely sustainable manner in keeping with global best practices.
Upon receiving the certifications, HJS Condiments Director/CEO Ananda Pathirage said, “We are happy with our progress so far under this three-year program. In the past year alone, through mitigation opportunities identified from the audits, we have managed to achieve a reduction in Scope 1 emissions of up to 10%, and we plan to reduce our carbon and water footprints to a greater extent in the coming years that would no doubt benefit the triple bottom line.”
Speaking on the occasion, CCC CEO Sanith de S. Wijeyeratne said: “Climate change is the single biggest threat facing our planet. In Sri Lanka we are noticing the effects of global warming in the form of adverse weather, which is wreaking havoc on our agricultural industry. In this regard, I’m happy to report that leading industry players like HJS Condiments are taking a stand about their duty towards environmental sustainability. Let us hope that other organisations will take this to heart and follow in the path of companies like HJS, as we all strive to reduce our environmental footprint on Earth.”
