Indian Summer

Ecoserv forges and establishes lasting synergies with SGS India in a mutually beneficial – and interesting! – relationship

Ecoserv was recently most fortunate to echo the Indian-African summit hosted in Delhi by welcoming an SGS colleague, Shiva Shetty, Environmental Manager for SGS India, to South Africa to assist with Ecoserv's first climate change audit.

Shiva was in SA to act as Lead Auditor on a CO₂ reduction verification audit and furthermore – and successfully so – to initiate knowledge sharing between SGS India and Ecoserv. Another of his roles was to measure ways in which the two companies can share expertise and collaborate, while Ecoserv has been asked to look at implementing certain services that SGS offer, but which Ecoserv doesn't yet.

As Shiva explains: “SGS South Africa is launching Climate Change Program services like validation and verification of Clean Development Mechanism projects as per the Kyoto Protocol. There is also the issue of verification of voluntary projects as per VCS, WBCSD (World Business Council for Sustainable Development), and ISO 14064 standards.”

And as Shiva points out, “Ecoserv is a leading organisation in South Africa in the field of environmental services and SGS India is a leading affiliate in SGS for CDM validation and verification services, and is working on nearly 200 different projects.”

He added that Ecoserv has nearly 15 years expertise in the field of Air Quality Management – especially the managing of continuous emission measurement systems, while Indian regulators have initiated the process of implementing the CEMS regulations in India.

“Hence,” notes Shiva, “we are looking at leveraging the knowledge of Ecoserv to serve the Indian market.”

Ecoserv MD Quentin Hurt was delighted by Shiva's fruitful, insightful and mutually beneficial visit.

“Ecoserv was very pleased to host Shiva Shetty. We have common challenges and opportunities and we spent a very fruitful two days in discussion and planning in our Durban offices,” says Quentin.

“We were very grateful that two of our consultants could follow this visit with a reciprocal trip to India where our new colleagues taught us a great deal and extended the most wonderful hospitality.”

One of those consultants, incidentally, was Mia Antoni, CDM Regional Manager, who had this to say of what she termed a fascinating and instructive visit to India, on her recent return:

“The opportunity to interact with our colleagues from India has opened doors of opportunity for further collaboration and exchange of ideas on best practice and continuous improvement, all of which contributes towards SGS and Ecoserv providing a better service to our clients."

But as Quentin sums it up, “The interchange proved one of the many tangible benefits that the SGS association has brought to Ecoserv, demonstrating technical opportunities for similarly focused offices. Shiva's drive and enthusiasm for the process of cooperation didn't harm, either!”