Eswaran Brothers Exports, one of Sri Lanka’s leading tea exporters, announced that it has achieved CarbonNeutral® company certification, a major milestone in the sixty- seven year history of the family owned tea company.
“Not only is Eswaran Brothers Exports the first company in Sri Lanka to achieve this prestigious and much sought after certification, but we are the first in the world to do so, proving that Sri Lanka is out there, making its mark and doing its bit for the environment”, said Vice Chairman of Eswaran Brothers and a third generation tea taster, Mr. Subramaniam Eassuwaren. “As part of a family that has been devoted to tea, this is an important landmark for us. It’s among the initial steps we have taken in our drive to become a truly ethical and sustainable business while still maintaining profitability. It is also an extension of our heritage and values that have guided all our activities at Eswaran Brothers since my grandfather first started his own business in 1943. If the environmental problems that we face had been apparent during my grandfather’s time, I am sure he would have called himself an environmentalist, as all of us were always taught to look at our impact on our community.”
The company is also ISO 14001 certified for its environmental management. Mr Eassuwaren went on to say that as a Company, one of its prime objectives was to see how it could reduce the environmental impact of its operations at every point. “We have a lot to learn and a long way to go, but we have definitely taken the important first steps to reducing our carbon emissions to net zero.”
Outlining the process involved in order to obtain this certification, Eassuwaren said that the first steps necessitated calculating the carbon emissions produced in the existing processes within its operations. “We obtained the services of the Sri Lankan based Carbon Consulting Company as well as UK based Ecometrica who were able to measure the emissions produced.”
These included calculating the carbon emissions produced in the Eswaran Brothers’ premises as well as from business travel, company owned vehicles and third party deliveries. The carbon footprint was then reduced through internal initiatives and by purchasing carbon offsets from a biomass renewable energy project to generate heat for processing tea in Sri Lanka.
Eswaran Brothers has been certified as a CarbonNeutral® company in accordance with the CarbonNeutral Protocol, which is the global standard for carbon neutral certification used in 32 countries. The Protocol is aligned with the WBSCD/WRIs GHG Protocol for company reporting and the principles of the PAS2050 for products and services.
According to Mr. Chalaka Fernando, Head of Consulting at the Carbon Consulting Company, “Carbon Neutrality is a significant achievement for Eswaran Brothers which is the first Sri Lankan tea exporter and the first tea company globally to achieve CarbonNeutral® certification. We are confident that it will see the Triple-Bottom Line benefit of people, planet and profit from this.”
Rani Virdee, Managing Director Asia Pacific, The CarbonNeutral Company said, “Eswaran Brothers is a leading example to other businesses that implementing an offset inclusive carbon management strategy will not only help tackle climate change, but will reduce bottom line costs and enhance its reputation within the marketplace.”
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