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.”
The Sustainability Report showcased the Company’s ongoing efforts towards improving its disclosure of triple bottom line performance for the 2018 financial year.
The content of the report has been structured according to the internationally recognized Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and conforms to the requirements of the “Core” option of the GRI standards and principles relating to sustainability.
Sudashini Christopher, Company Communications and Reputation Manager of INSEE Cement Sri Lanka highlighted the company’s commitment and approach to sustainability adding “At INSEE, sustainability is not a separate topic but an all-encompassing concept that is fully integrated into our value chain operations.
We have understood and accepted the fact that to be recognized as an environmentally responsible organization, we need to have carbon offsetting as our top priority.
To achieve this objective we engage in many environmental sustainability initiatives such as reforestation, mangrove conservation and planting ‘green future leaders’ through our recently launched environmental CSR programme - One Child One Tree initiative.
We also focus on coral restoration – especially in the Southern Province. We have developed our own biodiversity, CO₂, water management and Energy management protocols benchmarking to international standards.”
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.”
About the Company – INSEE Cement, Sri Lanka
INSEE Cement, Sri Lanka also known as Siam City Cement (Lanka) is a member of the Siam City Cement Public Company Limited in Thailand.
INSEE Cement Sri Lanka is the only fully integrated cement manufacturer in the country.
The company produces Sri Lanka’s most preferred superior Blended cement brands - INSEE Sanstha and Mahaweli Marine Plus Cement.
The flagship brand Sanstha Cement, is the first superior Blended Cement launched in Sri Lanka and the first “Green cement product” to receive the green labeling certification from the Green Building Council, Sri Lanka.
From recently, the company has started producing Customised Concrete based Solutions (Ready-Mixed Concrete) in a state-of-the-art INSEE Concrete manufacturing facility in Peliyagoda.
It is an eco-friendly, zero-discharge plant with a reclaimer that reuses aggregates and water.
INSEE Innovation and Application (I&A) Centre in Peliyagoda, assures the high-quality consistency of all concrete and cement produced by the plants and delivered to the market and will continuously develop new products & solutions for the industry.
Further, INSEE Cement Sri Lanka currently imports and sells ‘Conwood’, popular product in Thailand and Indonesia as a concrete-based replacement for wood.
The company also owns subsidiaries such as, Mahaweli Marine Cement (Private) Limited and INSEE Ecocycle Lanka (Private) Limited.
About the Parent Company – INSEE Group
The parent company, Siam City Cement (Public) Company Limited (SCCC) serves the construction needs of the region.
Its cement manufacturing facility in Saraburi, Thailand, is the world’s largest cement production complex.
SCCC draws from the accumulated expertise and knowledge of over decades of operation and is strongly focused on investing in rapidly advancing regional markets such as Sri Lanka, which show great promise in sustainable construction.
The Siam City Cement Public Company has its regional market footprint in Cambodia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Thailand, in addition to Sri Lanka.
Further, the parent company also serves countries such as, Singapore, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar, India, Indonesia, Philippines, New Zealand, South Korea and South Africa by exporting clinker and cement.