From carbon to climate: Sri Lanka’s iconic sustainability advisory enters new phase

For over 10 years The Carbon Consulting Company has been the driving force behind the movement to drive business accountability for environmental impacts. Recognised as one of the best corporate sustainability advocacies in South Asia, the company has worked with over 100 clients in more than 12 countries. The pioneer in promulgating corporate greenhouse gas emissions, the company is known for its many international ‘firsts’, having established key landmarks in carbon neutrality and having pioneered the concept of corporate and product water footprinting in Sri Lanka. 

With a new mission to tackle broader aspects of climate change and to promote even great conservation efforts, CCC as it is more commonly known, announced their new Corporate Identity – The Climate and Conservation Consortium. 

Elaborating on the reasoning behind the change, Director and Chief Executive Officer Sanith de S. Wijeyeratne explained, “For the past 12 years CCC was focused on getting corporate bodies to start taking cognisance of the environmental impacts of their business. We wanted to carry our message to Board Rooms and management teams both here and in our region that climate change is something that cannot be ignored. We focused on greenhouse gas emissions as the key first step for many industries, but soon expanded to water, waste, energy and more recently to plastics. 

“In each case we adopted our tried and tested methodology – Materiality- Measure-Manage and Mitigate. Over the years we enjoyed some key successes with clients who were willing to take the journey with us. But today things are changing. In the early days we were forced to spend much of our time raising awareness about climate change, and trying to compel clients to voluntarily take action in this regard. We were quite ahead of the times. Today, over 10 years later, climate change and carbon emissions are very well known. Global supply chains are now looking seriously at how to reduce emissions, and more international clients are making sustainability based demands from their suppliers and partners. 

“With this background, our Board of Directors felt that it was now time to switch gears – to focus our efforts to broader areas. And hence we have a new identity, a reinvigorated determination and heightened vision about what we want to achieve. We are privileged to have a highly regarded Chairman Deshamanya Prof. Mohan Munasinghe who constantly guides the company’s mission and oversees some of the research and global aspects of our work. We have a committed Board of Directors and a youthful team of sustainability specialists with us and I am confident that we can make a bigger impact as we go along.”

Speaking about the vision behind the founding of the company, CCC Co-Founder and Director Subramaniam Eassuwaren stated, “Our objective was to be a vehicle of corporate change, a force for good and a change maker for the better. My co-founders and I were of the view that our regional market was in dire need of a catalyst organisation to ensure that these changes happened. And that is one of the main reasons behind the formation of The Carbon Consulting Company. 

“Today , having a track record of environmental excellence and a significant client portfolio, we wanted to refocus our mission to tackle greater aspects such as Climate Poverty, Climate Justice and community based solutions. We see this as a broadening of our scope, while staying true to the core value behind the formulation of the company. The new identity – The Climate and Conservation Consortium, is a symbol of our commitment toward continuing our fight to make the world a better place and to ensuring our future generations are able to live in it.” 

The Climate and Conservation Consortium (www.climateconserve.com) is a ‘Profit for a Purpose’ social enterprise. With a significant arsenal of environmental tools and metrics, the company advises private industry and corporates on sustainability strategy, corporate sustainability, environmental conservation, and globally accepted compensatory mechanisms. Having pioneered access to global carbon, and now global Renewable Energy Certificates, CCC remains at the forefront to helping clients step up to the demanding standards of global sustainability requirements.