Hirdaramani Group awarded Carbon Neutral Certification
February 11, 2012, 5:15 pm
By Steve A. Morrell
The Hirdaramani Group was awarded Carbon Neutral Certification, arguably the first apparel factory in Asia to achieve this distinction.
Nikhil Hirdaramani, Director, The Hirdaramani Group, said the apparel industry in Sri Lanka was in sync with world demands for environmental protection. This also meant the neutralization of carbon emissions in the production of garments.
Asked by the media on ethical production in the garment industry CEO, The Hirdaramani CKT Cluster, Arjuna Kuruppu, said such strictures were not merely adherence to technical jargon but bore the stamp of meaningful applications in production at every stage in the assembly line. Social responsibility was in effect the cornerstone that sustained manufacturing standards within the Group.
Evolving from a single retail store the organization moved up to its its current stature and now employs over 30,000 people spread across six countries; including India, China, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Vietnam, in addition to plant sites in about 28 locations in Sri Lanka.
Kuruppu said the Agalawatte site, that earned this certification was in an adjunct location skirting the famed Sinharaja rain forest. It was, therefore, incumbent that the eco system be maintained, untampered and in constant adherence to prevailing natural demands of fauna and flora of the region. These basic requirements were met.
Waste water was recycled. The installed systems ensured protection of the environment and simultaneously maintained user protection. Adherence to prevailing laws were ensured.
At informal discussion, Hirdaramani said competitively the Sri Lankan garments industry could move into the area of prestige that was dominated by China. Garments from China were now expensive. Their standards were maintained but their cost of production was increasing. That left the Sri Lankan garments industry. Here, he said the accepted per-condition that there was no drop in standards, and further attraction for ethical production, was key to the competitive price factor. Of countries mentioned Bangladesh were yet low cost producers, but production standards left them at some disadvantage compared to garments from Sri Lanka.
Subranmaniam Easwaran of the Carbon Consulting Company, said global concern for greenhouse gas emissions was rising. Although, Sri Lanka was not at this point in time an urgent zone for concern, it would not be so for long. Predictions were that aggressive signs of flash floods that now occur more often were areas of concern that had to be addressed.
Globally floods and allied disasters cost about 50 Billion Dollars each year. However, certification awarded to the Group had the precondition that such concerns were addressed, and counter measures as far as possible were in place and qualified for the award.
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