CA Sri Lanka unveils Inaugural Sustainability Summit 2026

• Initiative on 26 May as businesses enter a new era of accountability and green finance

For decades, the language of business was simple: profit, growth, shareholder return. But the planet has rewritten the dictionary. Today, a company’s health is no longer measured by its balance sheet alone. Regulators, investors, and consumers are asking harder questions. Where do your materials come from? How much carbon did you emit? Are you protecting the communities around you?

In Sri Lanka, these questions are no longer theoretical. They are becoming the basis for access to capital, trade competitiveness, and national resilience. Recognising this historic shift, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) is taking a landmark step. On 26 May 2026, at the Cumulus Ballroom, Cinnamon Life, Colombo, it will host the Inaugural Sustainability Summit 2026, the first event of its kind by the country’s foremost professional accounting body.

For CA Sri Lanka President, Tishan Subasinghe, the summit is not a ceremonial gesture. It is a professional imperative. “Sustainability has moved from aspiration to expectation,” Subasinghe said. “The accounting profession sits at the very heart of this transition. We are the ones who measure, assure, and report. If we do not lead the way in embedding sustainability into corporate strategy and governance, we cannot expect others to do so.”

As the sole national standard setter for the accounting and auditing in Sri Lanka, CA Sri Lanka carries a unique responsibility. While many organisations talk about sustainability, CA Sri Lanka has taken concrete, regulatory action. The Institute has formally embraced the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Sustainability Disclosure Standards (S1 and S2) which is the global bedrock for sustainability-related financial disclosures and climate-related reporting. 

Subasinghe emphasised that the Sustainability Summit was born from a clear realisation, which is that Sri Lankan companies cannot afford to treat sustainability as a public relations exercise. “Global capital is shifting. Investors are no longer asking if a company follows environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles. They are asking how well they were followed,” he noted. “With frameworks like IFRS S1 and S2 becoming the global baseline for sustainability disclosure, the accountant’s role has expanded dramatically. We are now the guardians of trust in non-financial information as much as financial data.” 

Sri Lanka is at a delicate but hopeful crossroads. Having navigated a severe economic crisis, the nation is rebuilding. But rebuilding the old way, without regard for environmental limits or social equity would be a mistake.

The Summit, anchored in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is designed to translate global commitments into practical, investable corporate action. Key themes include embedding sustainability into corporate strategy, mobilising green and sustainable finance, and unlocking global funding for emerging markets.

“We are bringing together global partners, corporate leaders, regulators, and our own members to answer one question: how does Sri Lanka build resilience in an uncertain world?” Mr. Subasinghe explained. “Resilience means a company that can weather climate shocks, supply chain disruptions, and stricter regulations. Resilience means a nation that protects its natural capital such as its water, its soil, and its biodiversity, because that capital is the foundation of every industry from tea to tourism.”

The accounting profession’s new frontier

Historically, accountants were seen as gatekeepers of financial truth. They must now become gatekeepers of planetary trust, as the profession is today expected to provide forward-looking, decision-useful information. The Summit’s sessions reflect this shift: from “What Boards Must Do Now” to “The Quest for Credible, Decision-Useful Sustainability Information.” 

“Without trust, sustainability reporting is just marketing. The accounting profession brings rigour, independence, and professional scepticism. When we assure a carbon footprint or a water usage figure, we give investors’ confidence. We give regulators comfort. And we give the public a reason to believe that a company is genuinely changing, not just greenwashing,” Subasinghe said. 

He added that CA Sri Lanka has already taken concrete steps to prepare its members, including localising IFRS S1 and S2 standards for Sri Lanka and working on the implementation of ISSA 5000 (the new international standard for sustainability assurance).

Protecting the planet for future generations

Beyond the technical language of standards and frameworks, Subasinghe returned to a deeper motivation: intergenerational justice.

As a Native American proverb reminds us: “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”

“That is not a slogan. It is a fact,” Subasinghe said. “A company that destroys its watershed will eventually pay for water. A nation that degrades its coastline will lose its tourism revenue. Sri Lanka is a beautiful, ecologically rich island. Our long-term economic prosperity is physically tied to the health of our forests, our oceans, and our air.”

CA Sri Lanka President called on businesses of all sizes to see sustainability not as a cost, but as a strategic advantage. “The companies that start today will be the ones that win tomorrow. They will access green bonds. They will attract foreign direct investment. They will keep their social licence to operate.”

The inaugural Sustainability Summit by CA Sri Lanka will feature an impressive line-up of international and local experts, including UNDP Sri Lanka Resident Representative Azusa Kubota as Chief Guest, along with leading voices from EY, Deloitte, KPMG, the Colombo Stock Exchange, and top Sri Lankan conglomerates such as John Keells Holdings, Aitken Spence, and Hayleys.

But for Subasinghe, the real audience is every CA Sri Lanka member and every finance professional across the island. “This is not a one-day event. This is the beginning of a movement. We are asking our profession to upskill, to embrace new standards, and to lead conversations that go beyond debits and credits. Sustainability is now a core competency of the modern accountant. Those who ignore it will be left behind, and so will the companies they serve.”

The Inaugural Sustainability Summit 2026 will be held on Tuesday, 26 May 2026, from 3.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. at the Cumulus Ballroom, Cinnamon Life, Colombo, followed by networking and cocktails.