Recognized for commitment to sustainable business practices and governance
Colombo, 13 June 2014 Virtusa Corporation (NASDAQ GS: VRTU), a global business consulting and IT outsourcing company that combines innovation, technology leadership and industry solutions to transform the customer experience, was awarded the Gold Trophy of Commendation in the Private Enterprises category by H. E. President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the National Green Awards 2013/2014 held in Colombo recently.
Virtusa received the award for its Code Green initiative, one of the fundamental pillars of the company's corporate sustainability agenda under which the company carries out several programs in the areas of climate change management. While adhering to a green procurement policy, the company also closely monitors and manages per capita energy and water consumption, vehicle transport and air travel, and electronic and segregated waste to actively cut down on its environmental footprint. As the only IT company in Sri Lanka to be felicitated at the event, this is the second instance in the three year history of the Awards that Virtusa has been recognized for its commitment to the environment.
Commenting on the achievement, Madu Ratnayake, senior vice president and head of digital at Virtusa said, We are delighted to receive the Gold Trophy at the National Green Awards. It reaffirms our commitment to sustainability, the continual reduction of our environmental footprint and our leadership in the industry in sustainable business practice and governance.
The Code Green initiative has made significant progress since its inception in FY09. In FY14, Virtusa received a Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) score of 74 which was 25 points higher than the supply chain average for the year. CDP is the leading global system for companies to measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions*. The company achieved an 18% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, a 22% reduction in energy consumption per full time employee and an 18% reduction in water consumption per employee in comparison to FY13. 34% of the company's real estate is rated LEED Gold, with 87% of all property including the environmental management systems of all of major technological centers being certified for ISO 14011 by the British Standards Institute.
Denver DeZylva, director, strategic sustainability initiatives at Virtusa said, We are honored to receive this award from the Central Environmental Authority of Sri Lanka in recognition of our Code Green initiatives focused on reducing our environmental footprint. Through programs such as this, Virtusa aims to be a driving force in Sri Lanka's journey towards positioning itself as a Green IT/BPO consulting and off shoring destination - a niche that few other countries operate in.
As a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), Virtusa has institutionalized sustainability in its business practices, setting out on a mission to reduce its environmental footprint with ethical maturity, respect and dignity to all. Working towards positioning Sri Lanka as an emerging Green IT/BPO destination, Virtusa was one of the first respondents to the Central Environmental Authority's initiative of public-private partnership for e-waste management.
The annual National Green Awards is organized by the Central Environmental Authority of the Ministry of Environment & Renewable Energy in recognition of services rendered to the environment by organizations in the country, thereby encouraging them to be more involved with the environment. Held under the patronage of H.E. President Mahinda Rajapaksa, this year's event received over 500 entries with 12 Gold, 13 Silver, 17 Bronze, and nine merit awards being handed out.