Aitken Spence : most awarded at the Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Award 2021

Proves mettle in sustainability

• Aitken Spence PLC was the most awarded corporate entity at the recently concluded Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Award 2021 organized by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce
• The company walked away with a total of 11 awards.
• Only corporate in Sri Lanka to have been consistently ranked among the Top 10 Corporate Citizen for 16 consecutive years.
• 6 out of 9 awards clinched for 'Consistent Commitment and Continuous Improvement'

Aitken Spence PLC was on a winning streak yet again at the Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Award 2021. Winning the highest number of awards, the company demonstrated their leadership, continuous commitment and drive to pioneer the corporate sustainability movement in Sri Lanka. The company was also the recipient of the highest number of certificate awards for 'Consistent Commitment and Continuous Improvement' which goes to show the robust sustainability strategy and unparalleled commitment to sustainability from its teams across the diversified Group even during extremely challenging times.

This year was more significant as there were two additional wins for the 'Best Sustainability Project Awards' won by Western Power Company (Pvt) Ltd. - Sri Lanka's First Waste to Energy Power Plant Project and Elpitiya Plantations PLC - Go Green and Beyond Project.

BOX

Main categories - 5 awards

• Top 10 Corporate Citizen
• Triple Bottom Line - People
• Diversified Holdings
• Employee Relations
• Community Relations

For Consistent Commitment and Continuous Improvement in the last 5 years- 6 awards

• Environment beyond the business
• Environmental integration
• Environmental commitment
• Employee relations
• Customer relations
• Community relations

Best Sustainability Project Awards

• Western Power Company (Pvt) Ltd - Sri Lanka's First Waste to Energy Power Plant Project
• Elpitiya Plantations PLC - Go Green and Beyond Project

Organised by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, this annual event recognises best practices of organisations that have successfully achieved a sustainable balance between social, environmental and economic performance.

Commenting on this achievement, Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake - Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Aitken Spence PLC said, "We are extremely honoured to have won these many awards amidst another extremely turbulent year. Our hardworking and committed teams across the Group are driven by a sustainability mindset and it is one of the main reasons behind our multiple wins not just this year but for more than a decade. This further validates the approach we have adopted across the leadership of Aitken Spence and is a reflection on our sustainability ethos".

"Aitken Spence is one of the very few organisations in Sri Lanka that are truly international with a presence in 8 countries with diverse socioeconomic and environmental priorities to manage. Because of this, developing a strategy that encompasses the priorities of all our operations is more complex. Our performance at these awards shows that we have succeeded in developing a strategy that is replicable across multiple industries and geographies. I wholeheartedly thank the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and all our stakeholders that have been on this long journey with us".

With an indisputable repute as one of Sri Lanka's pioneering corporates, Aitken Spence is a blue-chip conglomerate anchored to a heritage of excellence spanning over 150 years. Listed in the Colombo Stock Exchange since 1983, Aitken Spence is a responsible enterprise driven by over 12,000 employees across 16 industries in 8 countries in hotels, travels, maritime, freight and logistics solutions, plantations, power generation, insurance, printing, apparel, and other services.