Hayleys Talawakelle Tea Estates shines at Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards

• First-ever virtually hosted ceremony hosted from Singapore
• Presented with 2 Silver awards recognising exceptional annual reporting  

Setting another unprecedented benchmark in the tea industry, Hayleys Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC (TTEL) was presented with two Silver awards at the recently concluded Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards (ASRA) 2019. 

Hosted virtually from Singapore due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Awards Ceremony saw over 200 senior business leaders, sustainability partners, academia, trade associations and advocacy organisations attend the event via a virtual conference, with Swedish Ambassador to Singapore Niclas Kvarnström presiding as the Guest of Honour. 

Hayleys Plantations MD Dr. Roshan Rajadurai

TTEL Director/CEO Senaka Alawattegama

“The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is a reminder that businesses, governments and societies need to work together to build resilience into economies and industries so they are able to withstand any disruption – anticipated or not. The adoption of responsible environmental, social and governance practices has become essential to ensure businesses survive the volatile economic landscape of the future. As such transparency, disclosure and data-driven strategies have become integral – not just in how businesses are perceived but also in how they can thrive and survive into the future. We are therefore delighted to have TTEL recognised among other regional corporates for our achievements in this increasingly important field,” Hayleys Plantations Managing Director Dr. Roshan Rajadurai said.  The virtual event saw TTEL presented with the Silver Awards for Asia’s Best Integrated Report and Asia’s Best Integrated Report Design. Judged by an independent panel, entries are run through a multi-tier evaluation process, followed by a comprehensive due diligence process taking into consideration the reputation of the finalists among their stakeholders in the final judging process. 

“We are honoured to have been recognised among leading corporates in the Asian region for our transparency and procedural excellence. Sustainability reporting has become an integral tool in communicating how we manage our material economic, environmental and social impacts, and risks in order to capture fresh opportunities to enhance sustainability in our business,” TTEL Director/CEO Senaka Alawattegama said. 

The ASRA has continued to raise the bar for quality and authentic reporting, and has introduced healthy competition among corporates in Asia. The winners for the 2019 ceremony were selected from 461 entries received from 16 countries, of which 80 companies were shortlisted from 13 countries to compete in the finals across 19 categories. 

The Awards recognise and honour sustainability reporting leaders in Asia, celebrating the best practices in sustainability reporting. The Awards are open to all types and sizes of private, public and non-profit organisations in all sectors which produce a sustainability report or integrated report in Asia. Furthermore, Hayleys TTEL recorded a dominant performance at the National Business Excellence Awards 2018, receiving the Overall Gold award. The Plantations Company also took home Gold awards in the Agriculture and Plantation Sector, Excellence in Performance Management, Excellence in Capacity Building and Extra Large Company categories. 

Similarly, TTEL also secured awards at the Presidential Environmental Awards 2019, for the sixth consecutive year, making it the only plantation company to receive this award for 2019. This winning strategy was further highlighted at the Social Dialogue and Workplace Corporation Awards 2019, organised by the Ministry of Labour, where TTEL won Gold, Silver and Merit awards.   Established in 1878 by Chas. P. Hayley as a trading house in Galle specialising in import and export, the Hayleys Group has since grown to serve as a centrepiece of the Sri Lankan economy while maintaining a global presence of manufacturing and marketing offices across five regions with business interests spanning a total of 16 sectors. 

Today it stands out as one of Sri Lanka’s most prominent success stories, having been the first listed Sri Lankan corporate to surpass US$ 1billion in revenue and accounting for 3.3% of the nation’s total export earnings.