Star earns silver award for energy
efficiency at inaugural ISGSD
In June, Star was honored at the inaugural International Symposium on Green Industry Initiative for Sustainable Industrial Development (ISGSD), earning a Silver Award in the “Energy Efficiency in Industry” category for its Innovation Center in Katunayake. This facility is the world’s first Passive House factory building, the first Passive House Design in South Asia, and the first LEED Platinum-certified building in Sri Lanka under the latest LEED V4 standards.
Hosted at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo, ISGSD 2024 was spearheaded by Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Industries and Industrial Development Board. Under the theme “Go Green Industry,” the event convened industry leaders, researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders to advance sustainable industrial practices. The symposium featured 10 focused sessions, each addressing key aspects of green industry initiatives.
By applying Passive House principles to renovate an old factory, Star has taken an innovative approach to enhancing energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact.
Star’s ESG-led approach has enabled its Innovation Centre to reduce energy consumption by up to 70%, achieving Zero kWh/m²a heating demand compared to a conventionally efficient modern industrial building of the same size. This significantly lowers greenhouse gas emissions and operational costs while enhancing indoor environmental quality, boosting employee productivity and occupational health.
With apparel being a major contributor to global energy emissions, Star has embraced a holistic sustainability strategy, actively managing energy and waste emissions to minimize its environmental footprint. Given that Sri Lanka is classified as a water risk country by the Aqueduct tool of the World Resources Institute, Star also conserves approximately 54 million liters of water annually through wastewater recycling and AHU drain water reuse across its facilities.
As a key driver of Sri Lanka’s apparel sector for over four decades, Star has built a reputation for sourcing, designing, and manufacturing high quality apparel for top global brands. Recognized as one of Sri Lanka’s Great Places to Work®, Star provides stable, rewarding careers to over 10,000 employees.
The ISGSD award reflects the company’s unwavering commitment to excellence in ESG, continuously raising the bar for sustainability, innovation, and responsible business practices—for both its people, and the planet.
