JUST IN TIME GROUP
JUST IN TIME GROUP’S RISING PROMISE IN CARBON NEUTRALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY IN ICT
The increasing threat of climate change seen over the past few decades has accelerated trends in sustainability strongly reinforcing corporates worldwide to become more sustainable than ever indoctrinating right from the corporate strategy.
The Covid-19 pandemic seems to have especially propelled environment-driven ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) investments to look at the long-term impact on the environment, compelling businesses to be transparent about their environmental impact while answering the age-old question: can a business make money while simultaneously making the world a better place? This challenge is no exception when it comes to the information and communications technology (ICT) sector with the end goal of being climate positive, or carbon negative from the starting line of climate neutrality.
The proudly Sri Lankan tech leader, Just In Time Group (JIT) recently achieved the ZeroCarbon® certificate becoming one of Sri Lanka’s First System Integrator Companies to achieve this certification, by way of conducting a comprehensive Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Assessment and supporting a Carbon Project to attain its ZeroCarbon® status.
“The JIT Group joins unique list of companies in Sri Lanka that measure, manage and mitigate their environmental impacts properly in accordance with international standards. The dedication of the entire team at JIT – from top management to executive level – towards effecting positive change was evident from the outset, and they are a prime example to both their industry and businesses in general. We at The Carbon Consulting Company (CCC) would like to congratulate the JIT Group on their achievement, and commend their efforts in furthering a Green Economy in Sri Lanka”, stated Sanith De Silva Wijeyeratne, CEO of CCC.
The GHG Assessment was based on the WBCSD/WRI GHG Protocol, ISO 14064-1 Standard and the ZeroCarbon® Guideline, and considered all applicable emissions associated with JIT’s On-site Energy Consumption, Refrigerant Refills, Company-owned and Hired Vehicle Fuel Consumption, Electricity Consumption, Waste Disposal, Foreign Business Travel, Imports and Exports, Third-party Deliveries, Employee Commuting and Water Consumption. Based on the calculations, the organization has neutralized its Carbon Footprint for the year 2022/2021 by supporting a Green Project in return for an equivalent amount of Carbon Offsets to make the carbon footprint zero, thereby being certified as carbon neutral.
The “Hiniduma Bio-link Project” in Kanneliya, Galle, which JIT supported to obtain offsets, is Sri Lanka’s only Carbon Credit Project that falls under the category of Nature-based Solutions, and was also the first in Asia to be registered under the Plan Vivo Standard. The project creates a biodiversity corridor between Sinharaja and Kanneliya using the ‘Analog Forestry’ concept and looks at conserving the buffer zones around the forest edges. Working exclusively with home gardens of local smallholder farmers, it seeks to enhance the forest canopy through the introduction of native tree species as well as fruit and medicinal trees that already exist in Sri Lanka. This allows the farmers associated with the project to derive an additional income from their lands, while helping reduce forest degradation and any further pressure on local forest resources.
Becoming carbon neutral through funding the maintenance of a local project that supports rural communities is one of the many milestones of the JIT Group showcasing their continuous commitment for a more sustainable future for the nation, including other pivotal management actions and investments toward significantly reducing the impact of its business operations on the environment. Furthermore, with an existence of over 25 years as a front runner in the local ICT industry, JIT understands the importance of the global need for rapidly cutting emissions of greenhouse gases so that we can lessen the risks of dangerous climate change. Thus, the global standard of sustainability in all its business practices with the mindset of “Think Global and Act Local”, is an essential requirement that JIT has built into their DNA.
“Sustainability is at the core of our business values of being responsible and having sustainable business practices, while committing to the reduction of the business operational impacts towards the environment and the local community. Climate Change is affecting every region globally, and it is imperative that organizations take the initiative of reducing their carbon emissions focusing on their part in protecting the environment. This is why we as business leaders need to take a firm step into committing to the cause not just for business sustainability but also for future generations. JIT has been taking its responsibility towards the environment and
community by working closely with CCC, an independent corporate sustainability consultancy firm dedicated to helping organizations develop and communicate effective sustainable practices along with our internal CSR team who led the certification process to completion with the relevant departments,” stated Chrishan Mendis, CEO of Just in Time Group.
JIT has set in motion focused strategies with key performance indicators (KPIs) for its sustainable activities, which are embedded into the Group’s everyday activities, including campaigns on creating awareness of sustainability activities among its internal and external stakeholders. “It is scientific fact that we humans are overconsuming our planet, which is having a massive impact for us now and more so for our future generations – not only in Sri Lanka but in the rest of the world as well. So, it is important that we, as businesses, conduct sustainable practices with the goal of eliminating carbon footprints, and doing the right thing for our planet” further commented, Chrishan Mendis.
JIT stands firm in its commitment to continue its activities in reducing its carbon footprint and maintaining its annual carbon neutral status, by doing its part in protecting the environment for future generations. Furthermore, their commitment to continuous improvement in quality standards is evident with the ISO 9001:2015 certification and customer-business partnership commitments with ISO Information Security Management Systems, evident with the ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification.
Just in Time Group has a strong focus on the areas of Strategic ICT Solutions such as; Systems Integration Services, Geographical Information systems-based Software solutions, Information security solutions, Data Analytics, Infrastructure Solutions and IT Resource Outsourcing targeting – Banking, Telecommunications, Government, Defence, and Enterprise sectors.
