(left to right) Kasun Rangana – Manager Projects, Star Garment Group, Diluskshan Silva – Executive Process Imporvement, Star Garment Group, Dinusha Harshani - Executive Process Imporvement, Star Garment Group, Madura Jayathilaka – Senior Manager, Star Garment Group, A. Sukumaran - Managing Director, Star Garment Group, Professor Mohan Munasinghe – Chairman, Carbon Consulting Company, Dr. Lakmini Senadheera – Head of Sustainability & Advisory Service, The Sustainable Future Group, and Sanith de S. Wijeyeratne – CEO, Carbon Consulting Company.

Star Garment Group (“Star”), a leading global manufacturing company, announced today that it has been certified as CarbonNeutral® by The Sustainable Future Group (SFG), Sri Lanka’s foremost sustainability verification and certification body. This makes Star both the largest carbon neutral company in Sri Lanka, and the only one in the apparel sector to have its 14 facilities assessed and certified.

The CarbonNeutral® certification is awarded by Natural Capital Partners to companies that have reduced their carbon footprint to net zero in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol. The CarbonNeutral Protocol is the global standard for carbon neutral certification, providing the pragmatic guidance businesses need to measure Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and to then build credible reduction solutions through a combination of in-house efficiency measures, renewable energy and external emissions reductions projects. SFG is the regional partner of Natural Capital Partners.

“We believe that as an organisation, we should use our global scope of resources to support responsible climate action,” said Komar President and CEO Charlie Komar. “The effort and investment to achieve this certification underscores Komar’s commitment to bold innovation and environmental stewardship. I’m proud that Star is leading the way to minimising our impact on climate change.” 

Star targeted becoming a CarbonNeutral® Company by 2022 but was able to achieve this goal in 2020. The Carbon Consulting Company (CCC) was commissioned as Sri Lanka’s most recognised consultant on integrated corporate sustainability solutions to assess Star’s operational impact with GHG Assessments conducted across its 14 facilities, and to develop customised mitigatory measures to reduce their environmental impact. Star supported a renewable energy carbon credit project to offset its quantified emissions and become carbon neutral.

“We applaud Komar’s leadership in driving sustainability in Star and we are honoured to be their partner in achieving their ground-breaking goal” said Carbon Consulting Company CEO Sanith de S. Wijeyeratne. “It is exciting to see an entire group of factories realise such a momentous step forward within such a short period of time, and should serve as an example for others to follow.”

“Ethical and responsible business practices are inherent in our culture, including the importance of operating a sustainable company,” said Star Managing Director A. Sukumaran. “Star’s outstanding achievement is the result of collaboration, managerial focus and the desire to do business in a positive way.”  

A. Sukumaran - Managing Director, Star Garment Group.

Sanith de S. Wijeyeratne – CEO, Carbon Consulting Company.