Aitken Spence Printing carbon neutral for 7 consecutive years

Sri Lanka’s premier printing and packaging solutions provider Aitken Spence Printing, a subsidiary of blue chip conglomerate Aitken Spence Plc, offset its carbon footprint for the seventh consecutive year. 

The company was the first carbon neutral printing facility operator in South Asia. It also renewed its ISO 14064-1 certification for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission quantification, reporting and verification for the third year running, reaffirming its commitment to quality and continual improvement.

Aitken Spence Printing was awarded the certifications by the Sustainable Future Group (SFG), Sri Lanka’s only verification and certification body accredited by the International Accreditation Forum to award ISO 14064 certification at both the organisational and project levels. SFG is also the regional partner of Natural Capital Partners of the UK, the world’s leading provider of carbon offset solutions and proprietor of the globally recognised CarbonNeutral® Certification. 

The accreditation process involved an extensive analysis of the company’s GHG emissions and subsequent investment in a renewable energy project for registered carbon credits to offset their organisational carbon footprint. The ISO 14064-1 certification further included an additional internal audit of the company’s GHG Management and Reporting System.

Aitken Spence Printing Managing Director Prasanna Karunathilake, commenting on the company’s commitment to sustainability, stated: “Being the first LEED Gold certified printing facility in South Asia, Aitken Spence Printing continues to push the boundaries of sustainability initiatives. We are constantly looking at modern technologies and newer, greener and more effective business practices to increase operational efficiency. This in turn encourages innovation and engagement among employees. Globally, a growing number of customers seek to minimise the environmental footprint of the products they purchase. We are positioned as a preferred print solutions provider to leading global and local brands that seek high quality products and a responsible supply chain.”

Over the past seven years, Aitken Spence Printing has regularly measured, monitored and managed its operational carbon footprint with assistance from a leading industry expert, the Carbon Consulting Company (CCC). 

“Climate change poses several threats to Sri Lanka. The potential impacts will adversely affect agriculture, coastal communities, water resources, human health and infrastructure and industry. If polluters do not take responsibility for their emissions and sustainable initiatives are not supported, this trend will not show any positive change. CCC is proud of its long-term engagement with Aitken Spence Printing and looks forward to supporting them to mitigate their adverse environmental impacts in the years to come,” remarked CCC CEO Sanith de S. Wijeyeratne.

Aitken Spence Printing has pioneered many innovative benchmarks and enriched the industry with much sought after professional services over six decades. The company offers a wide range of services from packaging, publications, magazines and seasonal products such as calendars and diaries and caters to a wide range of industries including tea, apparel, FMCG and pharmaceuticals. 

As a subsidiary of a conglomerate dedicated to contributing towards the economic, ecological and social development of the region, Aitken Spence Printing continues to enjoy a leading market share in the Sri Lankan printing industry.