The Modara-Polwatte beach in close proximity to the Panadura Harbour gained a facelift recently as Citizens Development Business Finance PLC (CDB) marked International Coastal Clean-up Day 2022 on September 17th, with a beach clean-up programme.  The project had the support of Biodiversity Sri Lanka (BSL) and the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA). Team CDB and their families brought in their collective forces to clean this scenic stretch of about 800 meters of beach, which moves southward from Egoda Uyana South near the harbour.

Adding momentum to CDB’s sustainability ethos, this clean-up initiative was a part of the ‘Life to our Beaches’ project, a collaboration between Biodiversity Sri Lanka, Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA), the Department of Samurdhi Development and other like-minded corporates including CDB.  Heralding a partnership between the public and private sectors and the community, the project aims at not just ensuring preservation and conservation of Sri Lanka’s coastal environment, but also in sustaining the underprivileged communities residing in these surrounds.

While there’s limited habitat on this coastal stretch, large amounts of marine debris including significant amounts of plastic wash aground during the monsoon causing harmful impacts on marine life and the beach locale.  With the CDB Team engaging in this conservation effort, they also become aware of the dire need to mitigate marine pollution and the harmful impacts of the irresponsible disposal of plastic waste and other non-biodegradable material have on marine and human life.

Director/Deputy CEO and CFO of CDB Damith Tennekoon explains that Sri Lanka’s western/southern coastal area is home to more than 40% of the country’s population but is also, one of the most heavily polluted coastal belts.  “It has long been our focus that in looking after our planet, our actions must reflect a sense of purpose, action and responsibility.  That responsibility is vital in our corporate stewardship and extends to all three pillars of social, economic and environmental – in other words, People, Planet, Profit.

“Our sense of purpose therefore is to ensure our planet’s survival and that includes the oceans around us, which sustain not just human and marine life, but is also the lifeline for communities living on the coastal belt. Cleaning up our beaches therefore becomes integral to our environmental commitment, pushing our agenda of the planet’s sustainability with this simple yet compelling act, which permeates to sustaining life on this planet in the larger sense.”

CDB has always gained the commitment of its team members into its sustainability agenda to inculcate the fundamentals of responsible stewardship.  The pillar, ‘Engaging Mindful Team Members’ focuses on infusing awareness of transparency, accountability, responsibility and sincerity of action among team members, under the overarching ethos of sustainability, which has seen the CDB Team significantly involved in reducing not just the company’s carbon footprint but being leaders and activists in cascading the message of sustainability across the board.