July, 24, 2019
Sri Lanka’s foremost cement manufacturer marked an important milestone in its ongoing journey of “Building the Nation” when Siam City Cement (Lanka) Ltd, also known as INSEE Cement Sri Lanka, announced the launch of the company’s first Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) based and externally assured Sustainability Report 2018 on the 23rd of July 2019 at a conference held at Taj Samudra Hotel to a large audience of journalists and corporate decision makers.
The Sustainability Report 2018 themed ‘Building a Sustainable Nation’ was launched to the public with a compelling discussion panel featuring seven eminent speakers with expertise in safeguarding the environment. The panel discussion was conducted by Savithri Rodrigo, the well-known presenter and journalist.
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Country Representative Dr. A. Mallawatantri spoke of IUCN international and local level endeavours and its contribution toward sustainable development goals while Ms. Shiranee Yasaratna, Advisor - Secretariat of Biodiversity Sri Lanka emphasized the role of the private organization’s involvement in biodiversity conservation activities. Prof. Ranjith Dissanayake, Senior Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Peradeniya and Chairman of Green Building Council of Sri Lanka focused on the best practices of sustainable construction industry.
Representing INSEE team on the panel, Mr. Nandana Ekanayake, Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer of INSEE Cement Sri Lanka presented an overview of the company’s commitment to build a sustainable nation and spoke on the value of sustainable construction focusing on green manufacturing. Sales, Marketing and Innovation Director Mr. Jan Kunigk explained INSEE Cement’s sustainable product innovations. Director of INSEE Ecocycle, Mr. Sanjeewa Chulakumara highlighted the company’s contribution to the nation’s industrial waste management and Non-Kiln Based environmental solutions by INSEE Ecocycle Lanka. Ms. Sudashini Christopher, Company Communications and Reputation Manager highlighted the company’s Sustainability agenda pertaining to community engagement and environmental responsibility.
Mr. Nandana Ekanayake presented the highlights of the results of the Sustainability Report and said “We are an integral part of Sri Lanka’s growing infrastructure. Our impact spreads far and wide. We are driven by our commitment towards communities and environment, harnessing our strength towards building a sustainable future.”
She further stressed “Launching this inaugural report is our first step towards accountability and transparency of our sustainable practices.”
Chairman/ CEO of INSEE Cement Sri Lanka, Nandana Ekanayake revealed that INSEE Group’s investments in expansion, modernization, R&D facilities and environment performance improvements amounted to USD 47 Million since investing in the Sri Lankan acquisition in 2016. “In 2018 we made several investments to enhance the and Application (I&A) Center” he said. He further added “The launch of the superior blended cement range to the local market is an industry-leading initiative that demonstrates INSEE’s innovative and green spirit.”
Ekanayake highlighted the company’s Zero Harm policy that reflects its commitment to Health and Safety. He also revealed that Green ethics are a key component of INSEE’s sustainability agenda. “We will remain fully committed to enriching and empowering the lives of the communities that we serve today as well as in the future” he explained reiterating the company’s vision of ‘Building the Nation.’
He also commented “We stand firm on our corporate pillars. They are, credibility - linked to our long heritage and consistent high-quality products that are the most preferred and trusted brands of cement in the country such as Sanstha and Mahaweli Marine Plus; Responsibility – linked to our environmental conservation journey toward a lower carbon future; And People and Culture - we take pride in developing a corporate culture as a learning organisation that results in high performance.”
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