RTS Holdings has certified its Hidellana and Avissawella tea factories as zero carbon manufacturing sites. The company used a combination of internal energy efficiency improvements and the purchase of 1,020 tonnes of carbon credits from a CDM-certified hydropower project to reach net-zero emissions. The certification follows audits based on ISO 14064-1 and the GHG Protocol. This move marks one of the first instances of zero carbon certification within the Sri Lankan tea industry.
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Using CDM credits for hydropower is a classic move, but I want to see the breakdown of internal reductions versus offsets. Net zero means little if the operational footprint stays the same and they just buy their way to the finish line.
Exactly. The article mentions optimization of energy consumption but gives zero specifics. Did they swap boilers? Install VFDs on the pumps? The real win is in the hardware changes, not the paper credits.
1,020 tonnes of CO2e is a relatively small volume for industrial certification. It suggests the factories are either very efficient already or the production scale is modest. Curious if they are sourcing renewable power from the grid or generating on site.
Interesting case for the tea sector. Most of these certifications in agriculture rely heavily on land use or offsets. Good to see ISO 14064-1 being used here to keep the accounting standard.
