UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka Spearheads Corporate Sustainability Ecosystem Building with New Patrons and Partners

 UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka (Network Sri Lanka) convened corporate leaders and partners yesterday for a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) Signing Ceremony, welcoming new Patrons and Ecosystem Partners who will support the Network’s efforts to strengthen corporate sustainability action across Sri Lanka.

At the centre of the ceremony was the recognition of Commercial Bank, Sampath Bank, and Hirdaramani Group joining the 2nd cohort of Patrons of Network Sri Lanka’s thematic Working Groups, reflecting their leadership in advancing responsible and sustainable business practices.

Patron companies play a key role within the Network by supporting and guiding fellow companies to raise standards in sustainability and responsible business practices. Selected based on their demonstrated commitment and leadership, Patrons contribute strategic guidance, share practical insights, and help catalyse collaborative action within the Network’s priority workstreams.

As participant companies of the UN Global Compact who have made significant progress in their sustainability journeys, these companies as Patrons will support key thematic initiatives of Network Sri Lanka. Commercial Bank and Sampath Bank have come onboard as Patrons supporting the Water and Ocean Stewardship (W&O) Working Group and the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Working Group, while Hirdaramani Group will serve as Patron of the Diversity and Inclusion Working Group and the Climate Emergency Task Force (CETF).

“Progressing Kofi Annan’s founding vision for the Global Compact is more urgent now than ever. The environment of volatility, innovation, inequality, global warming – all demand an energetic response to give markets the human face Annan envisaged; for resilience and growth as well as a better world. Consumers are demanding genuine progress in how businesses operate and how they create value. As a Network, our responsibility is to guide and enable that progress with collaboration, facilitation and education.

The partnerships we formalised today reflect the growing commitment to that objective, with businesses embracing value creation in a genuine sense. These are leaders, embracing change to collaborate in accelerating responsible business practices across Sri Lanka. Stronger partnerships mean sustained progress; exactly what is needed if the private sector is to play a role in advancing sustainable development.” said Dilhan C. Fernando, Chairman & CEO Dilmah Tea and Chairman of UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka.

Alongside the Patron companies, MoUs were also formalized with a diverse group of ecosystem partners who will contribute knowledge, programming support, and technical expertise to Network Sri Lanka’s initiatives.

Among the partners with whom partnerships were formalized are Southeast Asia Decarbonization Exchange (CDx), Hatch, Good Life X, Kehelmala, Centre for a Smart Future (CSF), National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC), Biodiversity Sri Lanka, Anvarta, and Sandbox.

“These partnerships are specifically designed to strengthen companies' sustainability strategies and lead towards better performance,” said Rathika de Silva, Executive Director of UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka. “By working with a diverse ecosystem of partners, we are able to offer robust programming that supports companies at different stages of their sustainability journeys, whether they are just beginning or already advancing mature sustainability strategies.”

Through these partnerships, ecosystem partners will contribute to a range of Network Sri Lanka programmes. Hatch and Good Life X will play leading roles within the SDG Innovation Coalition, a multistakeholder platform strengthening entrepreneurship and corporate innovation as drivers of sustainable development.

Technical and knowledge partners will support programmes focused on environmental and social sustainability. The National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC) will contribute technical sessions related to the Climate Emergency Task Force, Water and Ocean Stewardship initiatives, and Sustainable Supply Chains, while Biodiversity Sri Lanka and Network Sri Lanka will collectively carry out the Now for Nature Strategy Accelerator—the first multi-month corporate sustainability accelerator offered in Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, the Centre for a Smart Future (CSF) will contribute insights on economics, governance, and public policy, helping strengthen the policy dialogue surrounding sustainable development. Organizations such as CDx, Anvarta, and Sandbox will collaborate with Network Sri Lanka on joint courses, expert sessions, and knowledge product development, supporting companies in strengthening their technical capacity and sustainability strategies.

Communications and awareness efforts will also be strengthened through collaboration with Kehelmala, which will work with Network Sri Lanka on a joint social sustainability communications campaign.

Together, the Patron companies and ecosystem partners represent a growing coalition of organizations committed to advancing responsible business practices, sustainability innovation, and collaborative solutions within Sri Lanka’s corporate landscape.

The MoU signing ceremony reflects Network Sri Lanka’s role as a catalyst that brings together businesses, innovators, and knowledge institutions, creating opportunities for companies to collaborate, share expertise, and translate sustainability commitments into measurable impact.

“Our partners and patrons come from very different sectors and streams, yet they are united by a shared energy for sustainable growth and a strong belief that the private sector has an increasingly important role to play in addressing the challenges of our time,” said Subhashi Nanayakkara and Kaif Sally, who coordinate partnerships development at Network Sri Lanka. “Together, these partnerships are helping build the ecosystem needed to accelerate corporate sustainability action in Sri Lanka.”