In recognition of exceptional leadership towards sustainability in the Sri Lankan construction industry, Brandix received Platinum honours under the Leadership towards Sustainability Award at the CIOB Green Awards 2023 held recently.

The Ceylon Institute of Builders (CIOB) is the premier professional organization of building and construction professionals in Sri Lanka. The CIOB Green Awards 2023 are presented to honour individuals, organizations, and products/systems that have demonstrated outstanding innovation in advancing sustainability. The winners were recognised for their ability to embrace sustainable methodology and making significant contributions to environmental preservation, social responsibility, and economic resilience.

Brandix’s win is a resounding affirmation of the Group’s leadership and unrelenting excellence in advancing sustainable practices into the very fabric of their business. The award also acknowledges Brandix’s outstanding accomplishments in green building initiatives and distinguished status in its sustainable corporate program.

Brandix has the largest green building square footage in Sri Lanka, totalling 519,042. This achievement sets a remarkable industry standard for environmentally conscious construction. The company boasts a total of five (05) certified Green Buildings, including two (02) LEED Platinum, two (02) LEED Gold, and one (01) GreenMark Platinum in Sri Lanka, highlighting its commitment to sustainable practices. The Company is also the first apparel manufacturer in the world to achieve Net Zero Carbon status, with six of its facilities now certified Net Zero Carbon.

Natasha Boralessa, the Group Director of ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) said, Nurturing Our Planet is at the heart of our strategy. With a steadfast commitment to driving innovation and promoting green buildings, we are constantly breaking new ground. Achieving this prestigious honour serves as an inspiration and acknowledgement of the longstanding efforts Brandix has made in building sustainable spaces. We aim to continue to lead the way for the industry contributing to a greener and better future for all

The winners were assessed and selected through, a transparent, and impartial panel of expert judges against predefined criteria tailored to the Sri Lankan construction industry.

August 2023, Colombo: In a triumphant display of organisation leadership, Brandix shone brightly at the 2023 Women-Friendly Workplace Awards, securing the Most Outstanding Women-Friendly Workplace Award alongside nine other Sri Lankan organisations recently. This accolade, presented by the AICPA and Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) in collaboration with SATYN Magazine, is a testament to Brandix’s unwavering commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Brandix, Sri Lanka’s leading exporter, is an inspiration for female empowerment, fostering an environment that champions wellness, professional growth, and inclusivity. 77% of Brandix employees in Sri Lanka consists of women, with women constituting 27% of top and critical talent. Furthermore, the company’s leadership programs boast a robust 40% female participation, with a 17% female representation at Board Leadership level.

To ensure equitable opportunities, Brandix has instituted a comprehensive framework for advancement that includes annual training and awareness programs, cultivating highly skilled teams that thrive regardless of gender.

The Women-Friendly Workplace Awards is a singular initiative that gauges the well-being and progress of women in work environments. It aims to catalyze equality and equity that subsequently drives socio-economic development. The awards evaluate women-focused initiatives, including the encouragement of non-traditional roles, social support mechanisms, and anti-harassment policies and action. In these domains, Brandix stood out as an industry leader.

Nilangani De Silva, heading the Brandix Equity, Diversity and Inclusion council said: “At Brandix, we’re committed to cultivating a respectful, safe, and inclusive culture where everyone has a voice. Our approach to diversity and inclusion is firmly embedded in our business strategy and extends to promoting work-life integration. We are deeply honored by this recognition, which serves as a springboard for us to further our commitment to empowering women across Sri Lanka.”

Brandix’s commitment to inclusivity is supported in its comprehensive policies, including an Abuse and Harassment Free Workplace policy and a Speak-Up policy. The company also prioritizes providing supportive environments for women, such as childcare assistance, flexible work arrangements, and pay parity.

The awards programme scrutinized several criteria, including women-friendly policies, representation at all levels, remuneration, training and development, and the commitment to creating women-friendly workplaces. In each of these categories, Brandix demonstrated its resolute commitment to championing women in the workplace, marking significant strides in addressing women-centric issues.

10,194 schools across the island to be empowered with connectivity to learning platform

Inspired by the challenge to provide Sri Lankan children with better access to learning materials and the transformative power to read and comprehend English, Brandix launched the ‘RightToRead’ project in 2018 in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

Accordingly, Brandix introduced the ‘ReadToMe’ English learning tool, created by English Helper ‘ India, to improve reading and comprehension skills of Sri Lankan students. Last Monday, H.E. Julie Chung, the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, visited Susamayawardhana Vidyalaya in Borella, to observe progress of the project and experience how children and educators in Sri Lanka engage with educational technology.

Brandix Lanka Limited, Director, Ajit Johnpillai, said: “Education is the most powerful tool to enrich communities and futures, and Brandix is committed to build a strong foundation for transformational learning for students across Sri Lanka. The progress we have made with RiteToRead over the past two years is promising, and the potential for change in the education sector harnessing such digital technologies is immeasurable. Brandix will continue its commitment to deliver Inspired Solutions for the people of Sri Lanka.”

Susamayawardhana Vidyalaya was one of the first schools connected with RightToRead, and the visitors toured the smart classroom constructed by Brandix, to support the school’s journey in reaping the benefits of English proficiency.

As technology infrastructure and resources are limited, Brandix will also provide interactive smartboards to 10,194 schools across the country to give students access to the ReadToMe programme. The programme aims to touch the lives of over 4 million students in Sri Lanka. Brandix has already installed smartboards at 1,260 schools across the island, connecting over 790,000 students.

 

May 2023: Sri Lanka’s premier apparel solutions provider, Brandix Apparel Limited (BAL), signed a partnership agreement with Global Water Partnership (GWP) recently to strengthen joint efforts to advance youth engagement with water and sustainability.

The Memorandum of Understanding signed between the organisations spells out priorities for strategic collaboration, including strengthening youth engagement in water resources management by creating opportunities and knowledge exchange. The agreement also deals with deploying resources to address youth-related collaborative programmes with respect to the 2030 Global Agenda concerning Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.

Water and sanitation remain major issues in South Asia and the burden of managing and addressing these challenges is increasingly falling on the younger generation. Despite governments pledging to achieve SDGs by 2030, the state alone cannot meet these requirements and a multi-sectoral approach through public-private partnerships are increasingly accepted as the best way forward.

Group CEO of Brandix Apparel Limited, Ashroff Omar said: “Since 2007, Brandix has dedicated its Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives to providing access to safe drinking water and clean sanitation facilities for those in need, aiming to create significant, positive change for communities. Through this commitment, Brandix has successfully completed nearly 4,600 community water projects, empowering and enhancing the lives of over 300,000 people across the island. We are excited to extend our partnership with GWP, and foster youth involvement in this vital cause, encouraging them to not only benefit from these efforts but also actively drive them forward.”

Kusum Athukorala, Global Water Partnership South Asia (GWP SAS) Regional Chair, expressed appreciation to the support extended towards the network by Brandix on its new youth initiative, Youth and Young Water Professionals’ Platform. “GWP SAS is privileged to have a partner who is well-known for their commitment towards reducing carbon footprint through sustainable solutions. Like GWP, Brandix also understood the urgency of addressing the gaps to ensure clean water and sanitation for all communities in South Asia, and most importantly the role of youth in realizing this goal’.

CEO of GWPO, Elena Trovesi, stated Brandix has set a great example for the corporate sector globally through this partnership, which demonstrates the company is prepared to return what they have taken from the environment through meaningful initiatives. She said: “I hope the MoU we signed would lead to greater collaboration between the parties in the future both at national and regional level on youth-led initiatives to create a meaningful impact on the ground”.

The MoU was signed on the eve of World Water Day 2023 by Ashroff Omar, Group CEO, BAL, Elena Trovesi, (Interim) Executive Secretary and CEO, GWPO and Lal Induruwage, Regional Coordinator, GWP SAS.

 

About GWP
Global Water Partnership is an international network created in 1996 to foster the implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management: the coordinated development and management of water, land, and related resources by maximising economic and social welfare without compromising the sustainability of ecosystems and the environment. It is a non-profit multi-donor-funded action network with over 3,000 Partner organisations in 179 countries. The network has 69 accredited Country Water Partnerships and 13 Regional Water Partnerships including GWP South Asia.

The Global Water Partnership South Asia is a constituent of the GWP network represented in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka linked to the global network through the respective Country Water Partnerships.

January 2023, Colombo: Brandix Apparel Ltd., gave hope to 16,824 children of the Brandix family by gifting them school essentials including stationery and schoolbags necessary for the new school year, under its ‘Manusathkara Thilina’ 2022 initiative recently.

Understanding the current need to support our team members, especially during the current crisis of rising stationery costs, the children of 10,933 Brandix Associates were recipients of Brandix’s unstinting efforts to inspire and support education for all. The 2022 programme is being held for the 7^th consecutive year where children from pre-school to Grade 13 received stationery packs.

Malika Samaraweera, Group Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Brandix Apparel noted, “The beginning of the new school year is eagerly anticipated and exciting for all students. However, we realise that our employees, who are the backbone of our enterprise, are facing a daunting challenge to provide their children these essential items. We firmly believe in taking care of our communities and this year’s Manusathkara Thilina programme ensures these children have the tools and opportunity to learn and grow.”

Begun in 2016, the Manusathkara School Essentials initiative seeks to drive home the importance of education among the children of Brandix employees. To-date, over 37,000 children have benefitted from the programme. The educational hampers gifted to the children comprise of stationery and other school necessities, enabling their success for the foreseeable future.

With the aim of driving social sustainability, the inspired team at Brandix continues their work towards Equal Opportunity and the Right to Education for All. Recognising that today’s challenges are wide-ranging and incredibly tough for many families, the school essential packs will enrich the lives of the beneficiary children and sustain their school education.

Supporting Sri Lanka’s aspiring youth towards continuity in their education, Brandix has also initiated an annual scholarship scheme under its ‘Manusathkara University Scholarship” programme. Children who are high performers in the Advanced Level Examinations within the Brandix Model Villages are awarded scholarships to pursue their higher education and contribute towards Sri Lanka’s future workforce. The “Model Village” concept was developed by Brandix to support the wellbeing of communities within a 10km radius of the company’s facilities.

23 November 2022, Colombo: The Sustainability Summit for 2022 hosted by Brandix Apparel Ltd. encompassing varied aspects of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) was held on Tuesday 22^nd November. The Summit covered the pressing issues that faced the world today, with a specific focus on the urgent need to give equal importance to all aspects of the triple bottom line – People, Planet and Profit. Hosted as a hybrid event, with virtual participants and a physical event at Brandix Essentials Ltd, Ratmalana, the Summit brought together an audience of business leaders, government representatives, NGOs, and others interested in this timely subject. 

The sustainability journey of Brandix, commencing in 2007, has seen significant milestones been reached, and include the plant in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka being recognised as the world’s first Net Zero Carbon Apparel Manufacturing facility in 2019. This was not the first time the company broke new ground – In 2008, it’s factory in Seeduwa, Sri Lanka became the World’s first LEED Platinum certified facility under the World Green Building Council, and today the Group has multiple other LEED certified facilities across Sri Lanka and India. A significant depiction of this commitment is the company’s pledge to be Net Zero Carbon across all manufacturing facilities in Sri Lanka by 2023, and all facilities in India by 2025.

This year’s panel of international speakers included Claire Kells, Senior Manager Corporate Engagement – UN Global Compact, who spoke of her organisation’s work in the areas of promoting best practices and offering methodologies to effectively track results, through the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and UN Global Compact’s ESG principles. Ruby Ojha, Senior Environmental and Social Development Specialist ‘ International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, shared insights on ESG for Sustainability, an overview of IFC Performance Standards and IFC’s initiatives relevant to Ready Made Garment Sector. The final of the international speakers, Tejas Sampat, Senior Director, Corporate Responsibility (SA) and Global Sustainability (Offshore) – PVH Corp. shared his views on how the fashion industry is changing and the opportunity to drive fashion forward for the good of all. Each speaker reinforced the summit’s objective of the need to act now, and to couple global know-how with local solutions.

From hosts Brandix, two panellists, namely Akila Fernando ‘ Deputy General Manager, Group Engineering and Vinura Jayewardene, Group Sustainability Engineer, took the audience through the company’s own sustainability journey spanning a decade and a half, and anchored to the pillars of Air, Water and Earth.

“Brandix also works with the objective to make each location where it establishes its facilities, a better place than it was when the company arrived, through enhancing the living conditions and wellbeing of the community,” said Vinura Jayewardene, Group Sustainability Engineer, Brandix Apparel Limited.  He elaborated that in Sri Lanka, its flagship initiative of Water Projects has provided access to clean water for drinking and household needs to over a quarter of a million people, whilst in India free eye camps screen patients and extend medical support and spectacles, with over 35,000 beneficiaries to date.

With attendance figures for this year’s summit once again exceeding the 1,000s, Brandix is humbled to have had the opportunity to bring together a global community of like-minded participants who strive to make an impact on the environment and society. Brandix hopes that this summit is yet another step that will inspire more organisations and individuals to join hands and move from commitments to immediate actions, to unlock the true power of sustainable growth.

29^th November 2022, Welisara: Helping to shape the future of many youth, Sri Lankan apparel manufacturer Brandix Apparel Ltd., under its ‘Manusathkara University Scholarship’ initiative, presented outstanding A/L performers with higher education opportunities, at a ceremony held recently.

The 18 student beneficiaries, who have to-date completed their Orientation and English pre-academic programmes and about to enter formal undergraduate programmes at eight universities across the country received their scholarships at the event.

The ceremony was held at Brandix Fast Fashion Centre in Welisara and graced by the presence of Prof H.D. Karunaratne, Vice Chancellor, University of Colombo, Mr. Ashroff Omar, Group CEO, Brandix, and Ms. Natasha Boralessa, Group Director, Senior personnel from Brandix, parents, students, community representatives and well-wishers were also in attendance.

Brandix launched its Manusathkara University Scholarship programme to provide an opportunity for exceptional performers at Advanced Level Examinations to pursue their higher education and strengthen their personal and professional development.

It is in the DNA of Brandix to care for its people, the communities in which it serves and the planet. For over a decade and a half, the organisation has been committed towards social sustainability initiatives, anchored to the pillars of Provide, Educate and Engage. Under the umbrella of educate, in both Sri Lanka and India, the ‘School essentials’ programme provides children from pre-school to senior school with schoolbags, books and other necessities for the entire school year, and has benefitted over 45,000 children to date. Brandix has also provided hundreds of scholarships for the children of its own employees to pursue their higher education.

With the addition of the Manusathkara University Scholarship, Brandix further commits to continuous education and the pursuit of individual aspirations as an important feature of its CSR and HR strategies, and this is also aligned to Goal 4: Quality Education, of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Discussions to encompass Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives and policies

November 2022, Colombo Brandix Apparel Ltd. is gearing up to host its much-anticipated Sustainability Summit for 2022. Held for the second consecutive year, Brandix intends to focus this year’s iteration on discussions encompassing varied aspects of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) through this virtual summit.

Taking place on Tuesday 22nd of November 2022 from 5.30 p.m. to 7 p.m. (IST), the virtual platform will bring together experts who will speak on pressing issues that we face in our world, with specific focus on manufacturing industries. Each of the speakers bring a wealth of knowledge in policies and initiatives at global, national, or organisational levels toward sustainable development, the risks that would be faced with insufficient focus on this crucial area, and the rewards that can be gained with steps forward.

This year’s panel of international speakers are devoted to true sustainable development and include, Claire Kells, Senior Manager Corporate Engagement – UN Global Compact; Ruby Ojha, Senior Environmental and Social Development Specialist ‘ International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group; and Tejas Sampat, Senior Director, Corporate Responsibility (SA) and Global Sustainability (Offshore) – PVH Corp.

The panellists will be backed by members of the team from Brandix, namely, Akila Fernando, Deputy General Manager, Group Engineering and Vinura Jayewardene, Group Sustainability Engineer, who will draw from examples of the organisation’s own sustainability framework anchored to the pillars of Air, Water and Earth.

In Brandix’s own social and environmental sustainability journey that spans over a decade and a half, significant milestones have been reached. These include the plant in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka being recognised as the world’s first Net Zero Carbon Apparel Manufacturing facility in 2019. This was not the first time the company broke new ground – In 2008, it’s factory in Seeduwa, Sri Lanka became the World’s first LEED Platinum certified facility under the US Green Building Council, and today the Group has multiple other LEED certified facilities across Sri Lanka and India. The lessons learnt and rewards will interest those in the manufacturing sphere in particular.

Brandix also works with the objective to make each location where it establishes its facilities, a better place than it was when we arrived, through enhancing the living conditions and wellbeing of the community, mapped to the pillars of Provide, Educate and Engage. In Sri Lanka, its flagship initiative of Water Projects has provided access to clean water for drinking and household needs to over a quarter of a million people, whilst in India free eye camps screen patients and extend medical support and spectacles, with over 35,000 beneficiaries to date.

With attendance figures exceeding the 1,000s for last year’s Summit, Brandix is confident that this year too, a global community of like-minded participants who strive to make an impact on our environment and society, will come together once again. It is expected that the Summit will unlock the power of sustainable growth through championing efforts to address critical issues, and to drive true impact across many industries.

Brandix extends the invitation to all those interested to follow their social media platforms for more details on this summit, and to join the discussion, listen to experts in the field and share views, as they unlock the power of sustainable growth.

The efforts of Brandix to conduct such an event of this scale reflects its work to move from commitments to actions and is parallel to its belief of caring for the people, communities in which it operates and the planet. Yet another significant depiction of this commitment is the company’s pledge to be Net Zero Carbon across all manufacturing facilities in Sri Lanka by 2023, and all facilities in India by 2025.

UNDP-led Private Sector Giving Facility Launched

Colombo, Sri Lanka, 23 June 2022:  The health and food sectors are two of the most heavily affected by the ongoing economic crisis in Sri Lanka, with severe medical and food supply shortages, availability of basic pharmaceuticals and overall health and wellbeing continuing to be significantly affected.

In this backdrop, building on established partnerships and keen interests of various actors, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka has leveraged its experience to develop a giving facility, comprising of two mechanisms; Firstly, by channelling private sector funds towards procuring essential and non-essential medical supplies and address food security; and secondly, by channelling individual donations through a crowdfunding mechanism set up by UNDP.

In response, key private sector actors including Hemas Holdings PLC, Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company, Brandix Apparel Limited and Daraz Sri Lanka have come forward to pledge their commitment through the facility to complement and strengthen the ongoing health sector efforts of the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) and food sector efforts led and coordinated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) among others.  Sarvodaya, the United Nations Global Compact Network Sri Lanka and oDoc Sri Lanka will also come on board as Strategic Partners of the facility.

Speaking at the launch event held this evening, H.E. Ms. Hanaa Singer-Hamdy, Resident Coordinator, United Nations in Sri Lanka stated, “Now is the time for the private sector to show solidarity and prove what we have known all along ” investing in prevention is good for business. Therefore, we call on you to urgently support our Humanitarian Needs and Priorities (HNP) Plan to provide life-saving assistance to the women, men, and children most affected by the crisis and thus prevent a deterioration of humanitarian needs in the country.”

Reiterating the crucial importance of inter-agency collaboration for crisis relief, Mr. Dilhan C. Fernando, CEO, Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company stated, “Sri Lanka will rise again as businesses, individuals, local and international agencies work together with the government to ease the pain our nation is suffering. Circumstances demand that we all act with the kindness and empathy that Sri Lankans are known for. With this mindset, we will face the present and future crises with strength. We are blessed to have the possibility of helping at this time, and thank UNDP Sri Lanka for initiating this collaboration while inviting every business that can help, to support the effort.”

Highlighting the key role the private sector has historically played in humanitarian efforts, especially in times of crisis, Ms. Kasthuri Chellaraja Wilson, Executive Director, Group CEO, Hemas Holdings PLC mentioned, “As Sri Lanka navigates its worst economic crisis, Hemas remains committed to support our people and our country. Being the leader in Pharmaceuticals we are committed to support the most impacted vulnerable communities, and enable access to medicines. Our partnership with UNDP is in line with these efforts and we will focus on providing essential and near essential medicine to communities across the island”.

The launch event saw the participation of several high-level representatives from partnering organizations including Dr. Anver Hamdani, Director Medical Technical Services, Coordinating In Charge/ COVID-19, Ministry of Health; H.E. Ms. Hanaa Singer-Hamdy, Resident Coordinator, United Nations in Sri Lanka; Ms. Kasthuri Chellaraja Wilson, Executive Director, Group CEO, Hemas Holdings PLC; Mr. Dilhan C. Fernando, CEO, Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company; Ms. Natasha Boralessa, Group Director, Brandix Apparel Limited; Mr. Rakhil Fernando, Managing Director, Daraz Sri Lanka; Mr. Heshan Fernando, CEO and Co-Founder, oDoc Sri Lanka; Mr. Rathika de Silva, Executive Director, UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka; Ms. Malin Herwig, Officer in Charge, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka; and Mr. Vimlendra Sharan, Representative for Sri Lanka and Maldives, Food and Agriculture Organization.

Speaking on the importance of addressing the need of the hour, Ms. Natasha Boralessa, Group Director, Brandix Apparel Limited stated, “The Inspired People of Brandix pledge our commitment to thoughtful solutions to the food security challenge we face as a nation. Through our Manusathkara initiative, we already uplift the lives of our employees and the communities in which we operate in with our Model Village programmes across Sri Lanka, and with this partnership with UNDP, we will infuse much-needed inputs for short and medium-term relief assistance to restoring seasonal agricultural cycles. Our efforts will create immediate impact to tackle the challenges at hand, and also drive positive sustainable change.”

Speaking on mobilizing the private sector beyond Sri Lanka, Mr. Rakhil Fernando, Managing Director, Daraz Sri Lanka stated, “Given the country’s development to middle-income status, mobilizing funds from beyond Sri Lanka will be challenging, but a concerted effort with international organizations like the UNDP to raise awareness of Sri Lanka’s humanitarian crisis among the global community is an important first step. We need to work to start the required conversations, explore all possible options and leverage our technology, markets, networks and resources to mobilize private sector funds outside of Sri Lanka.”

Reiterating UNDP’s convening role in the facility, Ms. Malin Herwig, Officer in Charge, UNDP in Sri Lanka stated, “The giving facility will provide vital health and food sector support, liaising closely with relevant partners on procuring and delivering based on clear requirements, in strict compliance with UND’s globally renowned procurement guidelines. UNDP through its overall response efforts towards Sri Lanka’s recovery has leveraged its prior experience and strong relationship with the private sector to kickstart this facility, and looks forward to engaging with further private sector actors in working closely with fellow UN agencies, committed to empowering and strengthening vulnerable communities.”

The individual crowdfunding facility will be launched in the coming weeks, which provides the opportunity for individuals to contribute towards alleviating the impacts of the crisis, not only through addressing shortages in the healthcare sector but also by contributing to strengthening food security and other response measures in Sri Lanka.

UNDP: UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in 170 countries and territories, we offer global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations.
www.lk.undp.org