In 2012, Hirdaramani achieved its first CarbonNeutral® manufacturer
certification for a factory, Hirdaramani Knit, Mihila (Mihila meaning earth). This was yet another
pioneering accolade for one of the group’s premier eco-friendly facilities, as it claimed the status
of Asia’s First CarbonNeutral® manufacturer.
Being first to achieve something, however, is only part of the story; the true achievement is in
the ability to continue to stay committed and to maintain that standard year after year. For 10
consecutive years, the Hirdaramani Knit Mihila factory has maintained its status as a certified
CarbonNeutral® facility and the commitment to remain so will continue.
“The Hirdaramani Group could have simply used the accolade of ‘First CarbonNeutral®
manufacturer in Asia’ as a standard bearer for pitching the company, but in over a decade of
working with Hirdaramani, we have seen that they are driven not by the opportunity to market
but instead by a desire to really change the impact they have on the environment. This is
evident in the fact that they have continued to do the work year after year to maintain this
status,” says Suki Benn, Client Engagement Manager, Climate Impact Partners.
By no means a simple process, GHG assessments, and the procedures, reporting and effort
that go into maintaining carbon neutrality in a factory is complex. Changing opportunities,
technologies and tools also need to be considered as well as the impact of suppliers and
employees together with the basic emissions within the facility itself. However, this has also
been a very important learning process for the Group as it has expanded its approach to
reducing GHG emissions by working towards lowering emissions in product development as
well with an increased focus on choosing the right materials, suppliers and technologies. In
2020, the Hirdaramani Group implemented the Renewable Energy Credits (I- Rec) Standard to
reduce its’ scope 2 emissions from its operations, at Mihila through its a state-of-the-art Solar
PV system, the facility has retired 2,561 I-REC certificates, representing 2342 MWh of electricity
generated from renewable sources.
With the launch of ‘Future First’ the Group’s 2025 Sustainability roadmap earlier this year the
company is also now moving towards setting Science Based Targets to align with the Paris
Agreement, with carbon neutral climate action as a key pillar of its sustainability commitments.
“There can be a lot of jargon and inaccurate claims in the whole space of sustainability and
GHG emissions. The work that we have been doing over the last 10 years has really enabled
our teams to develop a wealth of knowledge and experience that makes it possible for us to cut
through the jargon and greenwashing to really evaluate materials, suppliers, partners,
technologies and make the best choices,” says Siddarth Hirdaramani, Director, Hirdaramani
Group.
“For over 15 years, Hirdaramani has worked towards reducing our climate footprint while aiming
to deliver more and more low impact products. We understand that growth does not come
without an environmental impact, and this is why we are as committed to sustainability as a
journey as we are to the journey of growth of our business. 10 years of Carbon Neutrality is a
milestone we are truly proud of, but it is nonetheless simply a milestone that is part of our
greater commitment to creating a lasting positive change,” added Nikhil Hirdaramani, Director,
Hirdaramani Group.
About Hirdaramani Knit Mihila
Hirdaramani Knit Mihila is one of Sri Lanka’s most accredited factories with certifications ranging
from Fair Trade, LEED (USGBC), GSV WRAP, HACCP, ISO 14001 & 45001, JASTECA Taiki
National Green Award, Ethical Trading & BSCI, National Energy Efficiency Award: Gold Flame,
National Occupational Safety & Health Award to name a few.
The CarbonNeutral Protocol (www.carbonneutral.com) defines the emissions that must be
measured to become a CarbonNeutral® manufacturer. The calculation and the verification to
award Hirdaramani Knit Mihila with this status were carried out respectively by the Carbon
Consulting Company (Pvt) Ltd and the Sustainable Future Group. The Independent Certification
was Issued by Climate Impact Partners ( Making Real Change Possible | Climate Impact
Partners).