Biodiversity Sri Lanka

As the new government shapes its policy agenda, there is a unique opportunity to adopt innovative, market-based approaches like Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES). PES incentivises individuals, communities, and businesses to protect vital ecosystems by compensating them for the services these ecosystems provide... #biodiversitySriLanka https://shorturl.at/xiaVc

I have been truly fortunate and feel incredibly humbled to have been part of Sri Lanka's EPR roadmap and journey since being invited to be a member representing the private sector / industry, in 2018 via USAID - US Agency for International Development project funding (two rounds 2018 -2020 and 2020-2022). I have been an advocate and believer in the power of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and the requirement to involve and make responsible all actors who introduce packaging into the marketplace. In 2023, I was indeed honored and privileged to have been elected to lead the National EPR effort on PET and HIPS packaging as the Chairman of the Private-Sector led EPR Consortia under the auspices of the The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Biodiversity Sri Lanka under the European Union Switch Asia PLASTICS project, implemented by Acted Sri Lanka. One of the key highlights, in my opinion, has been the successful EPR symposium 2024 which we recently executed which brought together 25 local and international subject matter experts, as well as 170+ people from all sectors including the government, policy makers, brand owners, wider private sector, civil society, etc. My sincere thanks to all those involved and who have supported over the past year, especially to Biodiversity Sri Lanka, ACTED Sri Lanka, the core committee members, the consortia members, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and all those who have been actively practicing and reporting EPR on PET & HIPS Plastic packaging in Sri Lanka! While more action and seriousness towards EPR is required, I believe we are on the right track. The responsibility to provide the right strategy, time, dedicated resources and funding towards designing for recyclability, collecting and processing packaging after its use, through impactful and sustainable partnerships is critically paramount. Here's wishing the new Chairman Anushka Kumarasinghe and the EPR Consortia team all the very best in the coming year of operations. #extendedproducerresponsibility #partnership #environmentleadership

How often do we see #biodiversity in the public discourse just ahead of presidential elections? How often is the #cooperation and #conservation knowledge exchange agenda advocated by the business community at this juncture? Look at Sri Lanka, no green-hushing, just leadership in motion. Kudos to Biodiversity Sri Lanka, Dilmah Tea, The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce for putting nature before profit. https://lnkd.in/ggnmMjQi

DIMO (Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC) has been a key partner in this project, playing a pivotal role since 2018 in restoring degraded fern land in Kanneliya rainforest. In 2023, DIMO further enhanced its contribution by becoming the fertilizer partner for the entire initiative, also developing a specialized forest fertilizer. Alongside other partners, BSL and IUCN have made significant progress over the years, with the project now recognized by the Forest Department as one of the country’s leading Forest Land Restoration (FLR) efforts. Making the environment everyone’s business! #life #forest #conservation #SriLanka #partnerships #collaboration #biodiversity #environment #restoration

On August 22nd, the #EPR Symposium highlighted Sri Lanka’s progress in implementing EPR #regulations, emphasizing our nation's commitment to #sustainable development. There's a strong #correlation between consumer #education and the successful implementation of EPR. As seen in global examples, the more aware consumers are, the more effectively EPR can be enforced. Unfortunately, many Sri Lankans remain unaware of the #plastic #pollution problem, making it challenging to implement EPR to its full potential.EPR must be #mandatory for producers, but expectations should be aligned with the current level of consumer education. I had the opportunity to share some insights with the audience and look forward to supporting the implementation of EPR as a mandatory requirement in Sri Lanka. A huge thank you to Lakshan Madurasinghe, Milzer Malik Hanan, and Lahiru Wijerathna for their invaluable support, and to Leonie Vaas 🇱🇰 for capturing these moments! Erik Solheim Biodiversity Sri Lanka The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce #SustainableDevelopment #EPR #ConsumerEducation @BSL #ZeroPlasticMovement #SriLanka

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with Biodiversity Sri Lanka (BSL), hosted a National Symposium on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). This first-of-its-kind event in Sri Lanka was supported by the EU SWITCH Asia PLASTICS project, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through its Ocean Plastics Reduction Activity, Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka PLC, Ceylon Cold Stores, Unilever Sri Lanka, and Varun Beverages. The symposium took place yesterday at the Galle Face Hotel. The event featured a diverse group of speakers representing the government, private sector, donor agencies, civil society organizations, NGOs, and academia, all presenting on various topics aimed at accelerating the adoption of EPR in Sri Lanka. Stay tuned for a detailed post to follow! #EPR #extendedproducerresponsibility #plasticwastemanagement #plastic #Partnerships

Biodiversity Sri Lanka in collaboration with Dilmah Conservation recently hosted "Adapt & Thrive: Climate Solutions for the Private Sector." The event focused on public-private-community partnerships and strategies for integrating sustainable practices into business models. The keynote speech by Mr. Ruwan Wijewardene, Senior Advisor to the President on Climate Change, highlighted Sri Lanka's commitment to impactful climate initiatives. He outlined key government efforts, including the Tropical Belt Initiative and Climate Prosperity Plan, which aim to attract investment in natural resources and foster international collaboration on climate change. A panel discussion moderated by Dr. Sonali Senaratna Sellamuttu brought together experts like Mr. Shahid Sangani, Ms. Anoja Seneviratne, Dr. Rupesh Bhomia, Ms. Tharuka Dissanaike, and Mr. Thilan Wijesinghe. They emphasized the urgent need for the private sector to engage in climate adaptation, financing, and technology transfer to achieve Sri Lanka’s climate goals. The discussion underscored the importance of innovation, collaboration, and continued engagement to build resilience and drive sustainable growth. #climate #climateChange #climatAdaptation #SriLanka #environment #biodiversityConservation #conservation #Biodiversity

EPR ජාතික සමුළුව ශ්රී ලංකාවේ ප්රථම වතාවට සියලුම පාර්ශවයන්ගේ සහභාගිත්වයෙන් අගෝස්තු 22 වන දින උදෑසන 8.30 සිට හවස 5.00 දක්වා Galle Face Hotel පරිශ්රයේදී පැවැත්වීමට මේ වන විට සියලු කටයුතු සූදානම් කර ඇත. මෙම සමුළුවට සහභාගී වීම තුළින් ලංකාවේ EPR වැඩපිළිවෙළෙහි වර්තමාන සහ අනාගත තත්ත්වයන් පිළිබඳව දැනුවත් වීමට ඔබට හැකියාව ඇත. එමෙන්ම මේ සඳහා දේශීය සහ විදේශීය විශේෂඥයන් සහභාගි වේ. එදිනට ඔබගේ සහභාගීත්වය අපි බලාපොරොත්තු වෙමු. සංවිධායක කණ්ඩායමට, පූර්ව ලියාපදිංචියක් නොමැතිව මෙම අවස්ථාවට ඔබට ප්රවේශ ලබා දීමක් කළ නොහැකි වේ. #plasticwastemanagement #EPR #extendedproducerresponsibility #symposium #srilanka #plastic

The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Symposium is approaching on August 22nd! Check out the video from Lakshan Madurasinghe, Chairman of the Private Sector-Led PET and HIPS Consortium at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, for more information! Without prior registration, the organizing team will not be able to grant you access to the event. #Plastic #plasticwaste #plasticwastemanagement #EPR #symposium #partnerships

The much-anticipated Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Symposium is scheduled for August 22nd! This landmark event, a first in Sri Lanka, will highlight groundbreaking initiatives in plastic waste management and explore innovative strategies for environmental stewardship. It offers a unique platform for industry leaders, policymakers, civil society organizations, collectors, recyclers, academics, government agencies, and donor agencies to collaborate on advancing #EPR and promoting a culture of accountability. Without prior registration, the organizing team will not be able to grant you access to the event. Attendees will have the opportunity to gain valuable insights from leading experts on EPR and plastic management, featuring both international and local perspectives. The symposium will also spotlight Sri Lanka’s progress in implementing EPR regulations, underscoring our commitment to sustainable development. #Plastic #plasticwaste #plasticwastemanagement #EPR #symposium #partnerships