Tata Global Beverages endeavours for a greener contribution with BSI

The world is heading in a difficult and dangerous direction. Recent estimates based on current plans and intentions arrived at a conclusion that at best, global emissions will plateau at around 50 billion tonnes of carbon-dioxide-equivalent per year over the coming decades. There is also a strong possibility that it will go much higher by the mid-2030s, perhaps to 55-60 billion tonnes p.a.1 Global negotiations on carbon dioxide emissions for years have been focusing on the fact that that policy-makers must prevent warming of more than two degrees Celsius to prevent apocalyptic climate outcomes. And, two degrees has been a point of no return, a limit directly or indirectly agreed to by negotiators at international climate talks. James Hansen, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, whose data since the 1980s has been central to setting that benchmark, has said that a two degree rise is too much.

Even if global warming is limited to 2 degrees Celsius, global-mean sea level could continue to rise, reaching between 1.5 and 4 metres above present-day levels by the year 2300.2 Rising sea levels will create strong possibilities of disruptions to climate and local habitats that would require hundreds of millions of people to move, with risks of severe and extended conflicts.

In the current Indian corporate scenario, several companies report their Carbon Footprint in their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Annual reports and there is growing awareness of such independent and credible verification. These reports have a high visibility and also are presented to the top executives and boards.

In line with the growing need to keep carbon footprint in check, BSI India has completed its assignment of verifying the Carbon Footprint of Tata Global Beverages as per ISO 14064 Standard. Tata Global Beverages owns brands such as Tetley, Good Earth, and Eight O’clock Coffee. The original company Tata Tea is one of the oldest companies in India and is a kind of the Crown Jewel in the Tata Empire.

Anurag Priyadarshi, Global Sustainability Head for Tata Global Beverages said “We have been measuring the carbon footprint of TGB for the past 2 years, but this is the first time we have got it externally verified and certified. On behalf of TGB, I appreciate your commitment to the project. I am proud of the fact that we have emerged a stronger team after this project. Our ability to work across geographies and time zones, and complementing each other’s strengths has been a revelation for me. I think our persistence and follow-up has made this certification possible. As we take our next step in the Sustainability journey, I will seek your continued support and commitment.”
BSI India has initiated Carbon footprint verification programmes since 2012 with their Sri-Lankan client ‘Textured Jersey Limited’, IDFC Limited from India and planning to take it up on a large-scale in the coming years and collaborate with the leading corporates across India.