Inaugural session of Thema Talks Season 2 achieves net zero emission status

On 13 August, the inaugural session of Thema Talks Season 2 was held at Sherwood by The Barn, Panadura. 

This event was a collaborative effort between

The BarnHouse Studio - Sri Lanka, Sherwood by The Barn, and Control Union Sri Lanka. The event, on 'Low Carbon Emissions in Sri Lanka's Hospitality Industry,' centred on strategies for reducing carbon emissions in the hospitality sector, exploring certification processes, and sharing success stories.

It featured a diverse panel of speakers discussing their organisations’ efforts and challenges in implementing low-carbon strategies. Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Deputy Director General Upali Ratnayake, opened the discussion by outlining the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority’s efforts towards low-carbon strategies. He emphasised the need for collaborative action to advance sustainability in tourism, stating: “Our challenge at SLTDA is to assist all stakeholders in meeting and overcoming their sustainability challenges. It is our responsibility to engage more actively in promoting this concept and making sustainability a widespread trend. Sustainability cannot be enforced solely through rules and regulations; it must be embraced as a shared responsibility.”

“When we’re talking about the global perspective, we need a global language and standards. So, in that sense, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council provides you with the pathway, the plan or criteria for how to align your process or practices more sustainably.” Sustainable Tourism Council Lead Trainer and Green Destinations Global and Country Coordinator Chinthana Duminduhewa highlighted the importance of global standards for sustainable practices. Control Union Sri Lanka Managing Director Roshan Ranawake emphasised the role of third-party certification in supporting greener tourism practices. He said: “As a third-party certification body, our primary objective is to be the impartial body to verify whether the organisations are meeting compliance levels. By implementing certification standards and offering our knowledge and expertise, we aim to support greener tourism.”

The discussion included insights from various perspectives. As a practitioner Thema Collection Director of Marketing and Business Development Maxime Wickramasinghe stressed the importance of authenticity in sustainability efforts, saying: “Sometimes sustainability is not just about replacing your plastic water bottle with a glass bottle. It’s a never-ending scope, which you can’t just say. We need to tell our sustainability story while being authentic to ourselves without greenwashing it and it has been somewhat of a challenge.” The Barn House Studio Sri Lanka and Sherwood by the Barn Resort Manager Sameera Palliya Guruge also shared their commitment to sustainability: “Barnhouse was the first event venue to be built from the upcycled material. Our core philosophy is going towards sustainability and lowering the impact on environment.” and added “When you come up with a sustainable or carbon-neutral event venue idea, you have to ensure everyone gets the right picture. We need to convince the customers and the vendors to think differently.”  The event itself was a model of sustainability, featuring natural lighting, renewable energy, locally sourced plant-based foods, recycled materials, and reduced plastic usage. The carbon footprint of the event was meticulously calculated at 276.83 kgCO2e and offset by cancelling an equivalent amount of carbon credits from a recognised crediting scheme, facilitated by the Barn House and Thema Collection. This process was verified and supported by the Control Union Sri Lanka, making it the first hospitality industry event to achieve this level of sustainability in Sri Lanka.