Sustainable Future Group, South Asia’s first to be accredited for product carbon footprinting

Tuesday, 23 March 2021 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

From left: Sri Lanka Accreditation Board Director/CEO Chandrika Thilakaratne, Sri Lanka Accreditation Board Chairman Dr. Sampath Wahala, Ministry of Trade Cabinet Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardena, Sustainable Future Group Executive Director Faris Fausz, Sustainable Future Group Assistant Manager Sustainability Assurance and Advisory Services Sajeewa Ranasinghe

Sri Lanka’s only internationally accredited Sustainability Validation, Verification and Certification body, the Sustainable Future Group (SFG), marked another international milestone recently when it received accreditation from the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) for the conduct of ISO 14067:2018 Product Carbon Footprint Verification. The accreditation was extended to SFG through IAF Member Institute, the Sri Lanka Accreditation Board (SLAB). This official endorsement by IAF/SLAB demonstrates the competence, impartiality and performance capability of SFG.

ISO 14067:2018 accreditation is awarded to bodies that have established proficiency in accurately verifying calculations of the carbon emissions that result from the production of a product, commencing from the raw material extraction or harvesting phase (‘Cradle’ stage), extending to the delivery of the product to the hands of the first customer (‘Gate’) or through the use phase of the product until the disposal at the end of the its life (‘Grave’). “With the ever-increasing evidence of the drastic impacts of climate change on the planet, today’s constantly evolving consumer is now demanding that companies take greater accountability for the climate impacts of their products,” Sustainable Future Group Director Faris Fausz said on the occasion of the accreditation ceremony held recently.

He went on to say, “Since our inception, we at SFG have been at the forefront of facilitating companies to verify, certify and communicate their carbon emissions from their operations in a transparent and globally recognised manner. We were very keen to be able to deliver the same degree of environmental declarations for products, and so we are very thankful to the team at SLAB who were able to facilitate this accreditation, after a rigorous verification process with their international partners. We are of the firm belief that the communication of Carbon Footprints of products that are manufactured in Sri Lanka will set them on an environmentally sustainable pedestal that will serve as an exceptional marketing advantage, thereby establishing a clear point of difference.”

The accreditation certificate was handed over to SFG by Minister of Trade Dr. Bandula Gunwardena on behalf of SLAB, in the presence of the Chairman and CEO of SLAB and several other dignitaries.