Sustainability, ESG & Corporate Responsibility
View all(54)📉 Sri Lanka's Apparel Sector Advances Disability Inclusion via "Inclusive Threads" Pledge
• Key Initiative: 13 leading apparel companies signed a voluntary pledge under the "Inclusive Threads" initiative—a joint effort by the International Labour Organization (ILO), International Finance Corporation (IFC), and Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF), supported by the Australian Government. • Core Commitments: Signatories pledged to adhere to 8 core principles focused on protecting rights, preventing discrimination, ensuring reasonable workplace accommodations, and promoting equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in the apparel & textiles sector. • Economic & Social Impact: - Shifts disability inclusion from a welfare perspective to an economic empowerment model. - Reached 17,000+ households through community outreach. - Modernized training at 3 state vocational institutes and provided sign language training to over 140 industry personnel. - Facilitated factory-based internships and 12 formal job placements through district-level job fairs. • Participating Companies: Brandix, Hirdaramani, Filotex Lanka, Inqube Global, Maliban Wovens, Martex M F G, Miami Clothing, Original Apparel, Q Collection, Sumithra Garments, Sun Queen Apparel, Vogue Tex, and Winterquilts.
📈 ADB & Govt Launch SUWERP for Highland Watershed Protection
• Key Initiatives & Framework • Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Government advance Sri Lanka Upper Watershed Ecological Restoration Program (SUWERP). • Establishes Upper Watershed Management Authority (UWMA) following Cabinet approval in June 2026. • Launches Climate Action and Nature Positive Investment (CANOPI) Fund for long-term capital. • Environmental Assessment & Drivers • Major threats identified: severe soil erosion, degraded water quality, and pesticide contamination. • Tea plantations and vegetable plots generate average topsoil loss of 1.2 tons/ha annually; unmanaged bare lands suffer highest erosion. • Highest erosion concentrated in Welimada–Nuwara Eliya hotspot; river flow peaks in December. • Water testing across 21 locations breached safe drinking limits at 13 sites due to high aluminum, iron, and chemical pesticides. • Economic Proposals & Funding Models • Proposed 1% levy on energy and water sectors could raise ~Rs 23 Bn annually. • Reinvesting Rs 9 Bn can employ 10,000 workers at Rs 75,000/month for restoration. • Incorporates 20 Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) to leverage workforce and management capacity. • Uses Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) and shadow pricing to lower Rantambe Reservoir siltation by 3x to 5x.
📈 HSBC Scales Up Beira Lake Clean Waterways Program
HSBC Sri Lanka expanded its Clean Waterways public-private partnership with the Beira Lake Restoration Task Force to drive community action and foster a blue-green economy. • First Phase Impact: The initial solar-powered boat retrieved over 21 tonnes of wet garbage and floating debris from 'Maha Beira Lake' during its first 7 months. • Operational Expansion: Introduced a second zero-emission, solar-powered waste collection boat in 'Kuda Beira' (near Gangaramaya Temple) to intercept debris at source and expand daily collection capacity. • Nature Literacy Component: Partnered with A-PAD SL to train 25+ university students via a 'Youth Guardians model', target 1M+ people through awareness drives, achieve 2M+ media reach, and monitor water quality and waste reduction. • Green Enterprise & Youth Empowerment: Partnered with British Council to deliver skill-building and financial literacy using the Inclusive Economic Empowerment framework: • 500+ youth reached via outreach. • 250 youth completing core skills, financial literacy, and career counselling. • 60+ youth directed to green enterprise pathways. • 140+ youth prepared for job-readiness in the blue-green economy.
Govt Steps Up Actions Over Forced Labour Risks in Southern Tea Sector ⚠️
• Overview: The Labour Ministry told the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) that awareness and enforcement measures have been launched to address forced labour risks in the Southern Province's tea smallholder sector. • Background: Action follows an Amnesty International report highlighting forced labour concerns. Under Sri Lanka’s Penal Code, forced labour is a criminal offence. • Capacity Building: Supported by the ILO, the initiative trained 30 master trainers, who subsequently trained ~250 officials from the Police, Department of Labour, and Foreign Affairs Ministry. • Key Risk Indicators: Practices identified include withholding certificates/IDs, delayed or partial wage payments, and restricting job mobility—creating conditions where workers feel trapped to recover unpaid wages. • Market & Trade Impact: Officials emphasized supply-chain compliance to safeguard export access, particularly to the US. Labor-intensive agricultural sectors like tea face higher scrutiny compared to automated manufacturing like apparel & textiles. • Mechanism: Government is institutionalizing customs enforcement and export/import declaration verification under the Director General of Commerce to satisfy international compliance standards.
🌿 Biodiversity Action Forum 2026: Driving Sri Lanka's Nature-Positive Economy
Biodiversity Sri Lanka will host the Biodiversity Action Forum 2026 on August 25 at Shangri-La Colombo. Moving beyond technical sessions, the event aims to translate ecosystem health into a strategic business asset for long-term economic growth, supply chain resilience, and private sector competitiveness. • Strategic Focus & Key Highlights: - Positions biodiversity as a key driver for investment, productivity, and risk mitigation across agriculture, tourism, finance, manufacturing, and exports. - Keynote speeches by Dr. Saurabh Kumar (CII-ITC) and Rohan Pethiyagoda on integrating nature-positive strategies into corporate governance. • Three Core Business Conversations: - The Next Wave of Blue Growth: Harnessing marine resources through sustainable investments, blue finance, and coastal resource management. - Safeguarding the Central Highlands: Protecting montane ecosystems as critical national infrastructure, featuring leaders from plantation management (Hayleys Plantations) and ADB. - Investing, Disclosing & Competing: ESG reporting, nature-positive finance, and corporate governance with insights from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, KPMG, and Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC. • Actionable Outcomes: - Formulating the Biodiversity Action Agenda 2026 in partnership with Verité Research to establish measurable, joint private-sector initiatives over the next 12 months. - Sponsored by major economic players including Dilmah Ceylon Tea, Hatton National Bank, Cleantech, CDB Finance, DIMO, and Hayleys Plantations.
🏨 Browns Hotels & Resorts Launches Free Learning Academy to Boost Tourism Workforce
Browns Hotels and Resorts (BHR) has launched the Browns Hotels and Resorts Learning Academy at The Eden Beruwala to address skill shortages and upskill youth in the tourism & hospitality sector. • Program Overview: The academy debuted on 14 August 2026 with an inaugural 60-day (360-hour) TVEC-approved NVQ Level 03 – Hotel Operation Multitasker Programme. • Target & Investment: Offered at no cost to selected local youth, combining structured classroom learning with practical exposure at BHR's flagship 5-star property. • Career Pathways: Successful graduates gain opportunities for employment consideration across BHR’s 15 hotel properties nationwide, driving regional youth employment and capacity building for Sri Lanka's growing tourism industry.
📈 APAC Leaders Convene in Colombo for Sustainable Business Growth
• Event Overview Over 200 business leaders, policymakers, UN representatives, and sustainability experts gathered in Colombo on August 11–12 for Forward Faster Now APAC 2026. Hosted by Global Compact Network Sri Lanka and organized by the UN Global Compact APAC Hub in collaboration with 14 country networks across 16 regional nations, the event focused on driving private sector leadership for sustainable and inclusive economic growth. • Core Focus Areas To combat climate risks, geopolitical uncertainty, and technological disruption, participants explored practical approaches in key focus areas: • Climate action & water resilience • Sustainable finance & circular economy solutions • Digital innovation & governance & accountability • Gender equality & business & human rights • Strategic Collaboration & Implementation The forum emphasized that cross-sector partnerships—connecting businesses, governments, investors, and civil society—are vital to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), building resilient supply chains, and boosting long-term regional competitiveness. • Key Side Initiatives An in-person session of the APAC Chief Sustainability Officers Peer Learning Group convened 20 CSOs from prominent regional firms. The year-long initiative aims to break down functional silos and embed sustainability directly into core business operations.
📈 UNGC Chief: Responsible Business Key to Sri Lanka's Long-Term Economic Recovery
• Strategic Focus & Governance: UN Assistant Secretary-General and UN Global Compact (UNGC) CEO Sanda Ojiambo emphasized that ethical leadership, anti-corruption, and strong ESG governance are essential for long-term business resilience, attracting international capital, and ensuring fair market competition in Sri Lanka. • SME & Supply Chain Integration: Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)—which make up 50% of UNGC participants—can enhance export readiness, access green loans, and qualify for global supply chains (especially in Europe) by integrating early sustainability credentials. • Regional Competitiveness: Sri Lankan businesses across textiles, manufacturing, and consumer goods are already well-positioned in regional and global markets. Adherence to strict environmental, quality, and labor standards strengthens export competitiveness beyond domestic needs. • Institutional Support & Coalitions: The newly launched Responsible Business Coalition with the Colombo Stock Exchange aims to connect private sector initiatives with national economic recovery plans, while leveraging Sri Lanka’s economic agility to adapt quickly to global shocks.
CSE and UN Global Compact Launch Responsible Business Coalition in Sri Lanka 📈
• Key Highlights: The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) partnered with the UN Global Compact to host a "Ring the Bell for Responsible Business" ceremony and officially launch the Responsible Business Coalition. • Core Objective: Embed sustainability, corporate governance, and the UN Global Compact’s Ten Principles directly into executive leadership, boardrooms, and capital market frameworks. • Strategic Impact: Emphasizes the role of capital markets in driving sustainable finance, transparent corporate governance, and long-term investor confidence to align with global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). • Coalition Leadership: Convened by UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka, founding members include the Sri Lanka Bankers' Association – Sustainable Banking Initiative (SLBA-SBI), Sri Lanka Institute of Directors (SLID), and the Centre for Smart Future, with support from the CSE and Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.
Sri Lanka Proposes 30-Year National Master Plan to Address Escalating Human-Elephant Conflict 🐘
• Escalating Economic & Human Impact: Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) poses significant social and economic costs, recording 488 elephant deaths and 154 human fatalities in 2023. Over 70% of wild elephants live outside protected areas, impacting rural agriculture and livelihoods. • Landscape Stewardship & EMRs: Shifting from reactive measures (fences, translocations) to Elephant Managed Ranges (EMRs) to integrate agriculture and seasonal habitats, driving direct economic benefits and local community stewardship. • Presidential Initiative & Master Plan: Proposes a multi-sectoral Presidential Initiative and a 30-year National Elephant Conservation Master Plan (2027–2057) to integrate land-use planning across agriculture, tourism, and rural development. • Economic & Ecological Co-Benefits: Strategic coexistence aims to safeguard watersheds, boost eco-tourism, strengthen food security, and leverage modern tech (AI, predictive analytics) alongside biodiversity finance and carbon markets.
🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Banking Sector: Seylan Bank Supports Annual Aadi Vel Festival
• Event Overview: The annual Aadi Vel (Addivel) Chariot Festival was held recently, with the central chariot traveling along Galle Road to reach the New Kathiresan Temple in Bambalapitiya. • Corporate Engagement: The Vel Chariots stopped at the Seylan Bank Head Office, where the procession was received by Seylan Management and staff. • Community Outreach: Seylan Bank staff participated in special religious poojas to receive blessings and distributed refreshments and sweets to attending devotees. • Strategic Focus: Demonstrates corporate commitment to cultural inclusivity, community engagement, and public goodwill in key urban commercial centers.
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka Reaches 1M Landmine Clearance Milestone
• Milestone & Key Statistics • 1 million landmines cleared across Sri Lanka over the past 17 years. • Annual casualties dropped dramatically from ~250 down to 3 in 2024. • Enabled ~1 million displaced people to return safely to their homes. • Mines Advisory Group (MAG) has made ~103 km² of land safe across 7 districts since 2002. • High-Profile Visit • MAG Ambassador Rosamund Pike is visiting northern minefields in Mannar and Mullaitivu. • Engagements include meeting local communities, deminers, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, and Mine Action Centre officials. • Socio-Economic Impact • Land clearance accelerates post-conflict recovery by unlocking safe land for farming, housing, and infrastructure development to support sustainable local livelihoods.