Sri Lanka’s Brandix Group has achieved another global first for Sri Lanka by becoming the first apparel manufacturer in the world to receive ISO 50001, less than a month after the stringent Energy Management Systems standard was introduced by the International Standards Organisation.
On July 14, auditors from Det Norske Veritas (DNV) - Netherlands confirmed that the Brandix Eco Centre at Seeduwa, a 130,000 square foot Green factory producing apparel for Marks & Spencer (M&S) was compliant with ISO 50001:2011, a standard that became official worldwide on June 17 2011.
With this certification, Brandix also became only the third manufacturing entity worldwide across all sectors of industry to be ISO 50001 certified, and the only apparel producer in this ultra exclusive group.
Due to the fact the Brandix factory had already achieved and maintained compliance well before the standard was released, it was able to obtain this certification in a short time period, whereas normal certification could take up to three months, officials said.
This is the second time that the Brandix Group and its Green factory have achieved global firsts for Sri Lanka’s apparel industry. In April 2008 the Brandix Eco Centre became the first apparel factory in the world 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). It has also been commended as a global model for sustainable production by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and in Britain’s House of Lords.
“Periodic achievements of compliance with the world’s most stringent environmental standards are important milestones in our road map to reaching the highest possible levels of sustainable manufacture,” Brandix Director AJ Johnpillai said. “They are also critical to positioning the capability and commitment of Sri Lanka’s apparel industry to eco-friendly operations, and represent a significant competitive advantage.”
The latest standard introduced by the International Standards Organisation, ISO 50001: 2011 establishes a framework for industrial plants, commercial facilities or entire organisations to manage energy with a strong focus on continuous improvement. The organisation has announced that the objective of the new standard is to address the present day energy crisis by encouraging greater energy efficiency and thereby achieving reduction in energy consumption by industry.
The Brandix Green factory currently consumes an average 6,800 kWh of energy daily. This represents a saving of 46 per cent after it was redesigned as an eco-friendly manufacturing facility. The factory has also achieved a reduction of carbon emissions by 64 per cent, a reduction of water consumption of 63 per cent and zero solid waste to landfill.
Elaborating on the need for standards such as ISO 50001, Iresha Somaratne, the Head of Environment & Energy Management at Brandix said: “More than one billion people in Africa, Asia and South America have no access to proper energy. To address this problem without increasing carbon emissions, it has been estimated that global industry will have to reduce energy consumption by 40 per cent. At Brandix, we look at local as well as global priorities in our drive for environment-friendly manufacture.”
Enterprise-wide energy conservation initiatives at Brandix have resulted in a reduction of CO2 and CO2 equivalent emissions from 86,322 MT in 2008 to 71,936 MT in 2010, shrinking the Group’s carbon footprint by 17 per cent. By the end of 2011, the Group expects to reduce emissions to 66,000 MT, despite expansion of manufacturing capacities.
A sophisticated web-based real-time monitoring system built on the EnteliWEB platform enables Brandix management to track energy and water consumption and Greenhouse Gas emissions at manufacturing facilities on a single screen dashboard, ensuring that reduction targets are being met and maintained.
The Brandix Group is on target to achieve its goal of a 30 per cent reduction of its carbon footprint by 2012, with 2008 as the base year. In a symbolic demonstration of support to the cause, Brandix associates recently marked World Environment Day by travelling to their workplaces by carpooling, walking or using public transport. An estimated reduction of 800 kg of carbon emissions was achieved through this initiative, an amount which takes 20 days for a hectare of rain forest to absorb.
source - www.dailymirror.lk
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