Leading corporates commit to embedding ‘Global Compact and Sustainability’

The recently held two day training course ‘Embedding Global Compact and Sustainability into your Organisation’ organised by Global Compact Network Ceylon and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) Investors for Development Project in Colombo attracted 36 participants from some of the country’s leading companies.

The expected outcome of the training was for participants to leave the training with a draft strategy and action plan for implementing the Global Compact in their respective company, as well as an understanding of producing a communication on progress (COP) on the practising of the Global Compact principles.
The UN Global Compact is a strategic policy initiative for businesses that are committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.  
UN Global Compact counts over 8700 corporate participants and stakeholders from over 130 countries. Global Compact Network Ceylon is the local network in Sri Lanka which brings together signatories from the country to advance the principles of the Global Compact.
The two-day interactive training course included sessions on benefits of sustainable business; overview of issues; setting priorities for the organisation; implementing the priorities, objectives, targets and  performance indicators; value chains; developing an action plan; reporting and communications; and communication on progress.
The event drew an enthusiastic response from some of Sri Lanka’s more established names in corporate sustainability as well as emerging adopters. Companies which had participants at the course were: Aitken Spence Cargo, Aitken Spence Hotels, Aitken Spence, Aitken Spence Travel, Bodyline, Cargills, Ceylon Asset Management, Chemenex, Dialog Axiata, Dipped Products Ltd, Expo Lanka Freight, Expo Lanka Holdings, Hayleys, Jetwing, John Keels Holdings, MAS Active, MAS Capital, Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC, Virtusa and World Vision Lanka.
Richard Welford, one of the founders and the chairman of CSR Asia, was the principal trainer. Welford was assisted by Clelia Daniel who is a consultant to the Trade and Investment Division of UNESCAP, Rathika de Silva (former long-standing member of Holcim Lanka’s Executive Committee), Azam Bakeer-Markar (Aitken Spence), Deepamala Abeysekera (Aspirations Education) and Lakwi Perera (Virtusa).
Welford is a professor at the University of Hong Kong with twenty years of experience working in the fields of environmental management and social responsibility.
He was one of the early pioneers in developing social audit and reporting methodologies with UK-based organisations such as The Body Shop, IBM and Eastern Electricity in the 1990s.
Since then, his work has been increasingly Asian focused as a result of his current position as director of the Corporate Environmental Governance Programme at the University of Hong Kong.
He has sat on the Swire Environmental Committee as an external adviser for the past four years and has undertaken consultancy work with a number of leading companies, including the MTR Corporation, Disney, CLP, Nike, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, HP, HSBC, Citigroup, Adidas and Cathay Pacific.