Sampath Bank’s Environment Day ends on high note

Wednesday, 5 June 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

To mark the ‘Green Day’ (Environment Day) that falls on 20 May, the Sampath Bank Nature Protection Club (SNaPC) along with Sampath Bank CSR hosted this year’s annual event on 27 May, featuring the signing of an important Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and an agreement in support of protection of environment.

The event that was held at Sampath Bank Auditorium witnessed the signing of the MoU with the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka (FOGSL) and an agreement with The Carbon Consulting Company and handing over a letter of consent by Department of Forest to the Bank.

The MoU signed with the FOGSL is for the ‘Sampath NaT SRI – Sampath National Threatened Species Research Initiative’ project, initiated to conserve the endangered Blue-Eared King Fisher. Prof. Sarath Kotagama, Senior Treasurer of FOGSL and Professor of Environment Science, University of Colombo has signed the MOU on behalf of FOGSL.

The Department of Forest has consented to provide a plot of land in Kande Ela, Nuwara Eliya to the extent of 4.93 hectares to the bank for reforestation project. The bank is expected to plant and maintain endemic plants in this land.

The screening of videos on the Blue-Eared King Fisher, carbon footprint calculation and energy-saving tips by presenters were noteworthy items in the program agenda. Sampath Bank Managing Director Aravinda Perera highlighting the bank’s commitment to environment protection and biodiversity conservation said their environmental programs and initiatives are implemented both within the organisation and across the country. The bank also has announced a competition among the staff to select the best eco team under three different categories.

At the bank level, there will be ‘location branding’ pertaining to the ‘Sampath NaT SRI’ project, demonstration of the green pledge in all branches/departments and a series of sessions on ‘energy saving tips’ for team Sampath in collaboration with the Sustainable Energy Authority. The United Nations first started World Environment Day in 1972 to build global awareness of the environment and support individual and community projects. The theme for this year’s World Environment Day that falls on 5 June is ‘Think Eat Save’ – a campaign aimed at stopping food waste and food loss. Sampath Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is based on the 5E model, shifting from voluntary CSR to obligatory CSR. The bank has introduced various mechanisms to enhance employee engagement, aligning all CSR initiatives with core business objectives and core competencies. Here the bank spreads out bank level CSR projects in rural and semi urban sectors and focuses on small and medium scale projects to share the benefit with greater number of beneficiaries. This is being done through developing partnerships, strategic agreements and industry collaboration with respective bodies.