Sri Lanka Design Festival 2010 to make history as first carbon neutral event

The much anticipated Sri Lanka Design Festival 2010 apart from giving a major boost globally for apparel industry is also slated to create history by becoming the first carbon neutral event.

 “What we hope to achieve for Sri Lanka’s creative industries through Sri Lanka Design Festival, expands beyond commercial gain and reaches the path to a greener world,” founder of Sri Lanka Design Festival Linda Speldewinde said.

The event is to take place under the theme of Design Difference, encompassing Sri Lanka’s multi-faceted creative industries and the difference created through them by value addition. In addition to advancing local creativity to a global platform, SLDF 2010 has a powerful ethically and ecologically conscientious stance.

Taking a historical step to promote eco-living and green industries, Sri Lanka Design Festival 2010 has invested in becoming the first ever Carbon-Neutral event held on Sri Lankan soil.

The Carbon-neutrality of an event, organisation or a country is achieved by taking steps to neutralise the total set of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions caused through what is technically termed offsets. Sri Lanka Design Festival 2010 is working in partnership with the Carbon Consulting Company (CCC), which was established with precisely the purpose of helping organisations reduce their environmental impact. (www.carbonconsultco.com)

“If development is not planned meticulously and sustainably, its benefits won’t be absolute. What we hope to achieve for Sri Lanka’s creative industries through Sri Lanka Design Festival, expands beyond commercial gain and reaches the path to a greener world” said Linda Speldewinde – Founder of Sri Lanka Design Festival and Managing Director of AOD.

“While we promote the existing green and ethical industries of Sri Lanka, such as our Apparel industry, we also hope to encourage other industries to go green by investing in making this national celebration of creativity into a Carbon-neutral event” she added while explaining the importance of ecological consciousness within industrial growth.  “The Carbon consulting company through its strategic partnership with the Carbon Neutral Company of UK have mobilised its international resources for this exercise”, confirmed Ranee Virdee the Asia pacific head of Carbon neutral adding that Fashion brands reach those who matter and we see this as an ideal opportunity for this message to be carried across the world.

SLDF 2010 is partnering Sri Lanka Tourism and Mount Lavinia Hotel and hopes to further promote Sri Lanka’s emerging ‘Eco-Tourism hub’ status through its influential international media audience. “As Sri Lanka looks to develop into a hub of ethical manufacturing and eco tourism, we need to equip our local businesses to take advantage of our huge carbon potential. Our companies and our products will need to be aware of their environmental impact in order to compete in the new Green Economy,” said Subramaniam Eassuwaran — one of the founding Directors of Carbon Consulting Company (CCC).

Sri Lankan Airlines’ ‘Green Flights’ which utilises recyclable consumables on board and flying practices that minimise fuel burn, have been incorporated to transport the prestigious international delegates consisting of global design leaders and top retail names for Sri Lanka Design Festival 2010. Further to this, SLDF 2010 is hosting a range of workshops, seminars and symposiums to educate design enthusiasts and the general public on ‘Eco-Design’ and methods to recycle, minimise waste and save energy within creative industries, led by international experts on the respective subjects.

The Sri Lanka Design Festival 2010, conceptualised by the Academy of Design (AOD), Sri Lanka’s celebrated design campus. SLDF 2010 is organised by the AOD in partnership with the Export Development Board (EDB). The principal sponsor of the event is MAS Holdings while Sri Lankan Airlines, Sri Lanka Tourism, Dialog and many others are supporting the event to be held at its official venue – Mount Lavinia Hotel.

For further information and purchasing of tickets for fashion shows, workshops, seminars and exhibitions log on to – www.srilankadesignfestival.com