HNB marks World Environment Day with ‘Green Pledge’

• A promise by every HNB employee to factor in environmental standards and consciousness into their day’s work

 HNB marked the United Nation’s World Environment Day by recommitting to the HNB Green Pledge – a promise by every HNB employee to factor in environmental standards and consciousness into their day’s work and office environment. 

HNB encourages teams to take ‘one green step’ by pledging to make environmentally friendly change and record their progress. Having first committed to the Green Pledge 10 years ago, the bank has evolved in its eco-conscious journey, within the office and branches as well as in communities that they operate in.

From the bank’s award winning green buildings, symbols of the future of built-in technology to creating renewable energy at branches; from reducing carbon footprint through paperless operations to taking head-on the pollution issue at Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak), HNB’s Green Pledge has become the pivotal focus of corporate governance. Part of the environmental consciousness is the endeavour of financing select projects that fit within this mantra.

HNB’s Head of HR Chiranthi Cooray said: “As Sri Lankans, we have had the privilege of being heirs to a priceless cultural and environmental legacy and we are pleased to be associated with positive initiatives which serve to preserve and enhance this legacy for future generations.”

“One such initiative, taken up by our staff, is to create awareness for a cleaner environment. HNB has been in the forefront of clean-up projects over the past few years, like beach cleaning and cleaning of the sacred peak, Sri Pada,” she noted.

Having funded renovations for the Indikatupahana Ambalama rest room, at the highest point along the path towards Adam’s Peak, to providing safe drinking water and sanitation facilities to the pilgrims a few years ago, HNB employees realised that garbage pollution on the peak, travelled by millions of worshippers each season, was not only an eyesore but an environmental hazard.

Using their historic legacy of a bank that started business in Hatton in 1888, this year, HNB commenced its ‘clean Sri Pada’ project from that very location. Under their CSR pillar, ‘Care for Nature’, employees joined hands with the Central Environmental Authority, Leo Club of Colombo Knights and each other to collect the choking bio-degradable and non-biodegradable garbage–such as polythene, pet bottles and plastic wrapping of food along the route starting from the top of the mountain.

Throughout the campaign, staff had the opportunity to observe and appreciate nature, participated in some wildlife photography and took time to study the various fauna and flora along the route. During the event banners were strung to remind pilgrims of the hazards of polythene while waste collection bags were distributed to them, reminding them again of the negative consequences of littering.

The young and energetic team of 120 including staff of HNB collected and bagged the garbage. The volunteers were assisted by many hundreds of pilgrims who helped carry the bags to the recycling point, once again demonstrating the value of initiating a good deed.

“We at HNB are proud to do our bit in a range of initiatives that will help reduce the impact on the environment and help preserve natural resources. The actions and decisions of colleagues help achieve these aims and World Environment Day highlights this shared responsibility,” summed up Cooray.