The Sustainable Development Council of Sri Lanka

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce (WCIC), we were pleased to join the WCIC in Ringing the Bell for women owned/ women led businesses at the Colombo Stock Exchange when trading commenced. Despite high educational attainments, women’s economic participation in Sri Lanka is well below potential. According to the Department of Census and Statistics, female participation in the labour force was at 31.3% in 2023, significantly lower than that for men (68.6%). Women-led and women focused enterprises often face unique challenges to establish and grow their businesses. As a result, women’s ownership of formal small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is low in Sri Lanka, and most women struggle to transition away from informal micro-scale businesses. Although SMEs contribute about 52% to Sri Lanka’s gross domestic product, according to World Bank Group data in 2021, only 25% of entrepreneurs in the SME sector are women. Access to finance remains a critical barrier which needs to be addressed through targeted interventions to expand women’s access to capital, affordable financing and gender-lenses investments to ensure their effective integration into the formal economy.

The Sustainable Development Council (SDC), together with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Sri Lanka, presented the National Framework to Measure the Progress and Contribution of Migration towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment & Tourism, Vijitha Herath at the Ministry premises. The National Framework was presented jointly by the Director General of SDC, Chamindry Saparamadu and the Chief of Mission, IOM Sri Lanka, Kristin Parco in the presence of senior officials from SDC, IOM and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The National Framework has been developed as a sustainable mechanism to measure the contribution of migration towards the SDGs and the progress of realizing Sri Lanka’s commitments under the Global Compact for Migration (GCM). It maps existing national migration data, identifies data gaps, suggests proxy/national targets and indicators, and provides a comprehensive framework to measure the progress and contribution of migration towards achieving the SDGs in Sri Lanka with a focus on capacity building for custodian agencies, periodic reviews, and the proper dissemination of data and information. This initiative is a vital step towards understanding how migration contributes to achieving our development targets and global commitments, ensuring a brighter future for both migrants and the communities they enrich

We successfully wrapped up a workshop on ‘Establishing an Inclusive Business Accreditation System’ for Sri Lanka in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the United Nations Resident Coordinators Office yesterday bringing together relevant government officials, industry experts, and passionate entrepreneurs dedicated to building a more inclusive business ecosystem in Sri Lanka. The Workshop focused on exploring the establishment of an Inclusive Business (IB) Accreditation System and the transformative power of IB models to contribute not only to economic growth but also towards a more just, stable, and resilient society. The sessions focused on areas such as the Inclusive Business Landscape in Sri Lanka, IB Accreditation Process and Steps in the implementation of an IB Accreditation System and Financial and Non-Financial Incentives that can be linked to an IB Accreditation System. It facilitated participants in learning from IB Accreditation Systems in Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and South Korea. During the workshop, we focused on the vital steps to establish an IB Accreditation System that will drive sustainable growth, innovation, and equal opportunities for all. A presentation on the Inclusive Business Landscape in Sri Lanka and recommendations for driving inclusive business growth was delivered by Ms. Chamindry Saparamadu, Director General of the Sustainable Development Council, followed by a panel discussion with inclusive business leaders on their challenges, successes, and opportunities in leveraging IB accreditation. Mr. Vihagun Ariyaratne, Founder of Owita Naturals Pvt Ltd, Mr. Asitha Jayasinghe, Founder of Blackpool Coffee, and Mr. Dushmantha Dissanayake, Agri Entrepreneur/ SME Finance Specialist, elaborated on the importance of accreditation and how it will enhance their brand value, accountability, transparency, and help businesses adopt a holistic approach to inclusivity and ethics. Ms. Pham Hong Ngan, Research Consultant, Vietnam shared insights from the Vietnam Accreditation Pilot, and Mr. William Baxter, Project Lead, Inclusive Business at the European Chamber of Commerce, shared key learnings and recommendations to support the development and implementation of an effective IB Accreditation System in Sri Lanka. The workshop was successfully concluded, gathering feedback from government agencies, business chambers, and other relevant stakeholders to decide the way forward for establishing an IB Accreditation system . The Outcome Report will be shared with the relevant agencies in due course.

We successfully wrapped up a workshop on ‘Establishing an Inclusive Business Accreditation System’ for Sri Lanka in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the United Nations Resident Coordinators Office yesterday bringing together relevant government officials, industry experts, and passionate entrepreneurs dedicated to building a more inclusive business ecosystem in Sri Lanka. The Workshop focused on exploring the establishment of an Inclusive Business (IB) Accreditation System and the transformative power of IB models to contribute not only to economic growth but also towards a more just, stable, and resilient society. The sessions focused on areas such as the Inclusive Business Landscape in Sri Lanka, IB Accreditation Process and Steps in the implementation of an IB Accreditation System and Financial and Non-Financial Incentives that can be linked to an IB Accreditation System. It facilitated participants in learning from IB Accreditation Systems in Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and South Korea. During the workshop, we focused on the vital steps to establish an IB Accreditation System that will drive sustainable growth, innovation, and equal opportunities for all. A presentation on the Inclusive Business Landscape in Sri Lanka and recommendations for driving inclusive business growth was delivered by Ms. Chamindry Saparamadu, Director General of the Sustainable Development Council, followed by a panel discussion with inclusive business leaders on their challenges, successes, and opportunities in leveraging IB accreditation. Mr. Vihagun Ariyaratne, Founder of Owita Naturals Pvt Ltd, Mr. Asitha Jayasinghe, Founder of Blackpool Coffee, and Mr. Dushmantha Dissanayake, Agri Entrepreneur/ SME Finance Specialist, elaborated on the importance of accreditation and how it will enhance their brand value, accountability, transparency, and help businesses adopt a holistic approach to inclusivity and ethics. Ms. Pham Hong Ngan, Research Consultant, Vietnam shared insights from the Vietnam Accreditation Pilot, and Mr. William Baxter, Project Lead, Inclusive Business at the European Chamber of Commerce, shared key learnings and recommendations to support the development and implementation of an effective IB Accreditation System in Sri Lanka. The workshop was successfully concluded, gathering feedback from government agencies, business chambers, and other relevant stakeholders to decide the way forward for establishing an IB Accreditation system . The Outcome Report will be shared with the relevant agencies in due course.

"???? Strengthening Sri Lanka’s Tourism Sector Against Climate Risks ????? Climate change poses significant challenges to tourism, a key pillar of Sri Lanka’s economy. The Climate 2.0 Dialogue, co-hosted by the Sustainable Development Council of Sri Lanka and SLYCAN Trust’s ClimaComms initiative, brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and financial experts to explore innovative climate insurance solutions. Discussions focused on enhancing accessibility, affordability, and innovation in climate insurance, ensuring resilience for businesses and communities reliant on tourism. Insights from this event will contribute to policy recommendations and industry guidelines, securing a sustainable future for Sri Lanka’s tourism sector. ??? #ClimateAction #SustainableTourism #ResilientFuture #SriLankaTourism"

The 14th National Steering Committee meeting on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Good Health and Well-being was convened by the Ministry of Health on 19th February 2025. The Steering Committee meeting was chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Anil Jasinghe. The meeting provided a critical platform for reviewing the country's progress on SDG 03 indicators and highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts to address health-related challenges. In his opening remarks, the Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Anil Jasinghe provided a comprehensive background on the establishment of the SDG Steering Committee, emphasizing the need for a structured approach to monitoring, evaluating, and accelerating efforts towards achieving the targets set under SDG 3. The primary focus of the meeting was the review of progress on health related SDG indicators as well as a detailed evaluation of the current national targets, challenges within the healthcare system and identifying feasible solutions to address the challenges in the health sector. One significant area of focus was the need for enhanced disaggregation of health data, particularly for indicators such as the number of new HIV infections, by sex, age, and key populations. A presentation was also delivered by Dr. Sumal Nandasena, Deputy Provincial Director of Health Services, Western Province, on the analysis of universal health coverage (UHC), Sri Lanka's current position, country comparison and the challenges in improving UHC indicators. The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment to intensifying efforts towards meeting SDG 3 targets, alongside improving mechanisms for data collection and analysis. The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Health, representing all relevant divisions, including the Family Health Bureau, Epidemiology Unit, Mental Health Unit, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Unit, Dengue Control Unit, and the National STD/AIDS Control Programme, as well as officials from the Sustainable Development Council, Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka Police, National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol, and international development agencies such as UNICEF and the WHO.

This week, SDC was pleased to contribute to the discussions of the International Conference on ‘Modern Challenges and Opportunities for the Apparel Sector’ jointly convened by the Monash Business School– Monash University, Australia and the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) Sri Lanka in Colombo. The Conference focused on ESG (Environment, Social and Governance), Circular Economy, Smart Manufacturing and Supply Chains and aimed to empower organizations to address these modern challenges while placing the spotlight on Sri Lanka Apparel. Joining the Panel Discussion on ‘Current Actions and their Impact on ESG related Outcomes in the Apparel Industry’, the DG-SDC, Chamindry Saparamadu highlighted that if businesses can integrate ESG considerations into their strategies and operations, they can contribute to a shared vision with government and other stakeholders to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She emphasized that it is important that approaches to ESG goes beyond merely compliance and reporting but addressed as core part of the business model and strategy with a clear focus on impact linked to branding which will help Sri Lankan apparel sector to reinforce its respected position in the global fashion industry as well as leverage the increasing global market opportunities for sustainable apparels and textiles. The other speakers for the session included Felix Fernando, CEO of Omega Lines, Nemanthie Kooragamage, Director, Group Sustainable Business at MAS Holdings, Piyumi Sumanasekara, Principal Partner at KPMG Sri Lanka and Gayan Ranasinghe from Control Union. The Panel Discussion was moderated by Dr, Glen Croy, Associate Professor/ Deputy Head of Department, Monash Business School. The Key Note Presentation of the Conference delivered by Prof. Mohan Munasinghe – 2021 Blue Planet Prize Laureate, and Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)// Founder Chairman of the Munasinghe Institute for Development - focused on the Challenges of Sustainability for the Apparel Industry, Balanced Inclusive Green Growth (BIGG), and Low C Production in a Multipolar World.

The 2024 Sustainability Reporting Awards of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) were successfully held this evening recognizing Sri Lankan businesses that report and disclose their environmental, social and economic impact. The event also marked the 20th Sustainability Reporting Awards of ACCA. The Sustainable Development Council (SDC) is proud to have served on the panel of judges that evaluated the sustainability reports of applicant organizations. The Panel of Judges chaired by Santhosh Jayaram included Chamindry Saparamadu, Anusha Mohotti, Prof. Kennedy Gunawardana, Dr. Nuwan Gunarathne, Dr Naveen Gunawardane, Imran Furkan, Nishantha Hewavithana, Rathnakala Kumaragurunathan, Roshini Fernando, Shaminda Kulamannage and Wei Yuan. Hayleys PLC emerged the overall winner of the 2024 ACCA Sustainability Reporting Award followed by Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC who emerged the overall runner up. Organizations were evaluated for their sustainability performance based on the governance processes, controls, procedures, strategies and practices in place to identify, assess, prioritize, manage and monitor sustainability related risks and opportunities as well as the applicable metrics and targets to assess performance in relation to sustainability related risks and opportunities. SDC appreciates the efforts of ACCA, as the global body of professional accountants, in encouraging Sri Lankan businesses to incorporate sustainability practices into their operations through formal recognition of their efforts and make a valuable contribution to the country’s sustainable development outcomes.

26th Presidential Export Awards – Contributor to Sustainable Development in Exports Award Recognizing the exporters who have made exceptional contributions to the country’s export sector and economic progress, the 26th Presidential Export Awards, organized by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), were held today under the patronage of the President of Sri Lanka, HE Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Appreciating their efforts towards sustainable development in Sri Lanka, the 'Contributor to Sustainable Development in Exports' Awards were presented to companies for the financial year 2023/24. The Sustainable Development Council of Sri Lanka (SDCSL) is pleased to have been able to develop the evaluation criteria for this award category, covering the three pillars of sustainability: Economic, Social, and Environmental, and has been engaged as evaluators since 2021. The evaluation framework developed by the SDCSL assessed the company’s contribution towards economic sustainability (in terms of their export earning, profitability, innovation, product and market development, employment generation, etc), Social sustainability (in terms of their commitment towards social responsibility, compliance with labor laws and providing safe working conditions and promoting gender balance in employment, etc.) and towards environmental sustainability (by evaluating their eco-friendly initiatives such as renewable energy usage, integrating Sustainability information into the reporting cycle, steps taken towards reducing waste generation and recycling, water use efficiency, carbon offsetting initiatives etc.) SDCSL appreciates this national endeavor which recognizes the contribution of Sri Lankan Exporters towards the country’s journey towards sustainable development.

The European Chamber of Commerce Sri Lanka (ECCSL) together with GIZ Strengthening Social Cohesion and Peace in Sri Lanka (SCOPE) Programme hosted the Second Roundtable under the Inclusive and Sustainable Business (ISB) Industry Series focused on the food and agriculture sector yesterday. Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector faces significant risks due to the impacts of climate change such as droughts, ill-timed heavy rains, flooding and land degradation. Further, the sector employs approximately 2.2 million people (26% of the total force) of which approximately 1.65 million are small holder farmers who account for nearly half of the population living below the poverty line. In order to address agricultural risks, improve livelihoods, reduce poverty, and enhance sustainability, it is crucial to invest in climate adaptation, new technologies, and organic products. New business and supply chain models, such as smallholder farmer cooperatives, out-grower programs, tech-enabled supply chain transparency, and crop insurance for example, can help mitigate risks and reduce poverty in the agriculture sector. The Sustainable Development Council (SDC) spearheaded the formulation of a Strategy to Promote Inclusive and Sustainable Businesses to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Sri Lanka (the ISB Strategy). The Strategy aims to build a cohesive business eco-system in which innovative business models delivering high social and environmental impact while using market-based approaches are able to make a significant contribution to the country’s economic development process. The Roundtable organized by ECCSL brought together businesses, policy makers and other stakeholders in the food and agriculture industry to share insights and experiences with regard to inclusive and sustainable business practices in the agri-food sector for practical implementation. It featured a presentation of the key elements of the ISB Strategy by the Director General of SDC, Chamindry Saparamadu followed by a Business Knowledge Sharing Session moderated by Project Lead of Inclusive Business Practices of ECCSL, William Baxter. Real World Examples of Inclusive and Sustainable Business Practices were presented by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MA’s Kitchen Maliek De Alwis, CEO of Natural Foods Cluster of Ceylon Biscuits Limited, Randeewa Malalasooriya and the Communications Executive of English Tea Shop, Asna Nizam followed by an interactive discussion and a networking session for knowledge and experience sharing on opportunities and challenges for adopting inclusive and sustainable business practices in the agri-food sector.