Hirdaramani Group has yet again taken bold
strides towards energy accountability by being the first in Sri Lanka to receive
International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs) for its energy usage. With
this robust tracking standard, the group hopes to add new layers of
accountability and credibility to its operations, living up to the commitments
outlined in the company’s own sustainability vision.
As Energy Attribute Certificates
(EACs), I-RECs serve to increase transparency in the energy sector and provide
clarity about the use of renewable electricity among end-consumers. The I-REC Standard
(www.irecstandard.org) ensures that issued certificates comply with major
international sustainability and carbon accountability standards and adhere to
stakeholder expectations of industry best practice for the avoidance of double
counting, double certificate issuance and double attribute claiming. The system
also helps individual companies seeking to improve their environmental
credentials, while raising awareness among consumers and industry players.
With I-RECs Hirdaramani hopes to both,
back the country’s clean energy programmes, as well as offset its own electricity
consumption-related emissions, and support its internal sustainability strategy.
As a result, they are now able to accurately claim the energy they use from
renewable sources.
More specifically, the new standard
will register the rooftop solar power produced from the on-site PV plants
across Hirdaramani’s manufacturing facilities. With I-RECs, these will then be available
for use within the Group, providing a clear and accurate view of renewable
energy usage by each facility. This direct generation and allocation also limits
the company’s grid impact, in turn contributing towards a reduction in its Greenhouse
Gas (GHG) emissions.
“At Hirdaramani we are dedicated to constantly
holding ourselves accountable for meeting our commitments, and for the validation
of our sustainability goals,” said Nikhil Hirdaramani,
Director, Hirdaramani Group. “The decision to invest in the I-REC Standard
and framework stems from this dedication, allowing us to not only quantify our
achievements, but also more importantly, to collect reliable data which will
help us to keep moving forward towards our energy and GHG reduction goals.”
The I-REC Standard is developed in
accordance with major international standards including GHGP, CDP, RE100, ISO,
and others, providing significant credibility to data reported by users. The
certification project for Hirdaramani was carried out by The Carbon Consulting
Company together with the UK-based Green Certification Company.
Based on current figures, Hirdaramani
projects that I-RECs will be covering approximately 40% of the electricity
demand of their Sri Lankan facilities. By using I-RECs, individual factories
will be able to quantify their renewable energy usage at a facility level, with
expected ranges between 40% and 100% depending on the facility. Overall, the
company is projecting that they will be able to achieve approximately 25%
decrease in its Scope 1 and 2 related carbon footprint in 2021, primarily as a
result of the reduction in GHG emissions via the implementation of the I-REC
programme.
Over the years Hirdaramani has made many investments into
renewable energy, ranging from direct investments into wind and hydro-power
plants, to implementing on-site renewable energy generation projects at their
manufacturing facilities (including solar power and biomass). The continued
investment in third-party validation and certification by globally recognized
standards is another of the company’s core commitments in its move towards
becoming a more sustainable organization, with a future first approach to how
they conduct their operations.
