Dilmah strengthens tea industry collaboration with third ‘Stronger Together’ event

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Dilmah, a global Sri Lankan tea brand, continues to drive transformation in the tea industry through its Stronger Together initiative — a platform to foster collaboration, sustainability, and shared progress across the entire tea supply chain. Launched in 2023, Stronger Together is a commitment by Dilmah and its parent company, MJF Group, to elevate industry standards, align with global sustainability benchmarks, and support all stakeholders linked to the tea industry. The program facilitates knowledge-sharing and strategic partnerships, ensuring that suppliers, logistics providers, and allied sectors move forward together in embracing sustainability. As part of this ongoing effort, Dilmah hosted its latest Stronger Together knowledge-sharing session on 27 February, at its headquarters, bringing together over 100 stakeholders from key sectors, including shipping, packaging, IT, HR, and other allied services. Supply chain sustainability thought leaders and key representatives driving strong sustainability initiatives in their organisations, including from KPMG and DHL, addressed the audience.

In striving to achieve net-zero, Dilmah Tea along with its subsidiaries, has committed to align with Science Based Targets initiative to reduce emissions companywide. Therefore, a priority is supply chain sustainability, which accounts for 80% of its emissions. The Stronger Together event took place a few days after the announcement of the European Commission’s ‘Omnibus Simplification Package’, which proposes to ease sustainability reporting burdens for businesses by delaying certain deadlines and simplifying requirements for regulations like the CSRD and CSDDD, while still maintaining the EU’s overall sustainability goals.

Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company Chairman /CEO Dilhan C. Fernando said: “It is sustainability that is the strength and resilience of our organisation and industry, and it is sustainability that will deliver the competitive edge for all of us.”

Global Strategic Corporate Sustainability Chairman and CEO, and Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company PLC Non-Executive, Independent Director Dr. Ravi Fernando presented on ‘Future Sustainability/ ESG Trends and Benefits of Global Alignment’ where he took the audience through the European Green Deal policy which will strongly impact Sri Lankan exporters. 

At the gathering, Dilmah also highlighted its Supplier Partner Code of Conduct and announced the introduction of an online self-assessment tool that is in the works. The code sets seven supply chain principles to ensure stakeholders adhere to ethical and environmentally responsible practices throughout the entire product lifecycle, including aspects like labour standards, waste management, resource usage, and community impact, aiming to minimise negative environmental and social consequences across the supply chain. While the self-assessment tool could prove beneficial for suppliers to identify their gaps in compliance and be a steppingstone for moving towards sustainability by helping them quantify their emissions.

The need for global sustainability regulations, climate change vulnerability, rising market demand for sustainable products, and the need for supply chain collaboration necessitate increased education and awareness. This will ensure regulatory compliance, build climate resilience, enhance market competitiveness, and foster a unified approach to sustainability. It is essential for Sri Lanka’s tea industry to adopt such practices to maintain its leadership position globally, secure long-term economic growth, and ensure the well-being of workers and the environment.