UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka has appointed Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC (TTE PLC) as Patron of its Climate Emergency Task Force, citing the company’s long-standing engagement in climate resilience, sustainability and low-carbon transformation within the plantation sector.
The appointment comes amid growing climate-related challenges facing Sri Lanka’s tea industry, including rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, soil degradation and increased incidence of floods and droughts. These impacts have begun to affect productivity, infrastructure and community wellbeing across both high-grown and low-country estates.
TTE PLC, one of the country’s leading plantation companies, has implemented a range of adaptation and mitigation measures in response. According to the company, erratic rainfall in highland estates has led to soil erosion, damage to estate roads and factory infrastructure, and reduced soil moisture, while southern low-country estates have experienced heat stress among workers, flash floods and heightened risks of vector-borne diseases.
In response, the company has expanded initiatives focused on reforestation, soil and water conservation, rainwater harvesting and watershed protection. These measures aim to strengthen sustainable tea cultivation while improving regional water security and community resilience.
UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka said the Patron role recognises TTE PLC’s sustained investment in renewable energy, carbon management, water stewardship, biodiversity conservation and social development. As Patron, the company is expected to support the Task Force’s efforts to promote coordinated private-sector action on climate change.
TTE PLC reports that its renewable energy generation exceeded 30,800 gigajoules in 2024 and 2025, reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Micro-hydro projects across several estates generated approximately 7,975 megawatt-hours of electricity during the 2024/25 period, supplemented by rooftop solar installations at factories. The company also maintains an externally assured greenhouse gas inventory, recording 23,431 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in its most recent reporting cycle, a year-on-year reduction of about seven per cent.
The company has stated that it is the first Sri Lankan plantation entity to assure climate disclosures under the SLFRS S1 and S2 standards. In addition, more than Rs. 58 million was invested during 2024 and 2025 in projects related to reforestation, water security and energy efficiency, alongside waste management initiatives that reduced estate waste volumes.
Community engagement forms a central component of TTE PLC’s approach. Estate families are involved in the design of rainwater harvesting systems, community nurseries supply seedlings for reforestation programmes, and home gardening initiatives aim to improve household food security. Digital platforms are also used to promote awareness on waste management and resource conservation.
UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka said the appointment highlights the role of the plantation sector in advancing national climate goals. TTE PLC’s climate roadmap includes targets to ensure year-round water availability by 2030, fully integrate regenerative agriculture practices by 2035, and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
The event was organized by the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, and the Department of Hindu Religious and Cultural Affairs.
During the ceremony, ThaiPongal rituals were performed under the patronage of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs. The celebration was enriched with a range of vibrant cultural performances of Hindu culture and traditions.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
Environment Minister Dammika Patabedi said yesterday he had ordered an inquiry into the withdrawal of China-based Amber Adventures (Private) Ltd., from the Ambuluwawa Cable Car Project.Addressing the media, the Minister said the Environment Ministry had no direct agreement with the company, as the project was under the purview of the Board of Investment (BOI).
He said construction activities within the Ambuluwawa Environmental Zone had been suspended following complaints from environmental organisations in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah. All constructions in high-risk areas, he said, had been halted pending clearance by the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO).
According to the Minister, complaints had been received that construction at Ambuluwawa was continuing without NBRO clearance.
In response, the Ministry instructed the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) to conduct an investigation and thereafter construction activities were suspended pending a technical assessment by experts.
The Ministry of Environment subsequently ordered the immediate suspension of all construction activities within the Ambuluwawa Environmental Zone until the assessment was completed, he said, adding that work could resume if expert evaluations cleared the project.
Following the suspension, Amber Adventures (Private) Ltd,, described as the country’s first cable car venture, formally withdrew from the project, citing what it termed “regulatory obstruction and arbitrary state action.”
The company, a major Chinese investor in the project, proposed as Sri Lanka’s first cable car initiative with both Chinese and American investment, officially informed the BOI of its decision on Wednesday (14). In a letter to the BOI, the company said it had obtained all required permits and approvals in line with BOI procedures but faced repeated disruptions that resulted in significant financial losses.
Company Director Yuan Yuping warned that legal action would be pursued at the International Court of Arbitration to recover losses incurred due to the suspension of the project, citing continuous interruptions and government decisions as the cause.
Meanwhile, the Ambuluwawa Trust Board said the withdrawal of investors from the project was a major loss to the country, noting that it was regrettable that decisions had been taken without proper investigation, based on allegations by parties lacking a clear understanding of the facts.
It warned that halting a large-scale project of that nature would result in the loss of direct and indirect employment opportunities, as well as income sources for communities in the surrounding areas.
By Chaminda Silva and SK Samaranayake ✍️
Balangoda Kassapa Thero, held in Trincomalee remand prison over alleged violations of the Coastal Conservation Act, reportedly refused meals yesterday (15).
Prison authorities, however, said it could not be confirmed whether the monk’s action amounted to a hunger strike. Prison Media Spokesperson A. C. Gajanayake added that an official statement on the matter would be issued today (16).
The monk and eight others were remanded until 19 Jan by the Trincomalee Magistrate’s Court over allegations of unauthorised construction of a shelter to place a Buddha statue at the Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraj Viharaya. Prison sources said Thero had also declined food brought from outside.
The case follows reports to the court by the Trincomalee Harbour Police that unauthorised constructions had been carried out, despite instructions from the Court of Appeal to resolve the dispute peacefully.
by Chaminda Silva ✍️
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