IN CONVERSATION

In our “In Conservation” segment this month, we were happy to chat with Kshanika Goonesekera, Ph.D., Manager, Environmental Sustainability, MAS Intimates. Our Member Focal Points are the backbone of BSL.

BSL: Give us a brief introduction about your company and yourself 

A: MAS Intimates is the largest subsidiary of South Asia’s largest apparel manufacturer, MAS Holdings. MAS Intimates is responsible for designing, developing, and manufacturing for some of the world’s leading lingerie brands. Over the last three and a half decades, MAS Intimates has differentiated itself in the global fashion industry through its innovation mindset, strong technical competency, and making sustainability a foundation of the product creation process. It has design and development offices in Hong Kong and Sri Lanka with a presence in New York and London. MAS Intimates is also home to 17 state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Kenya with a rapidly growing global footprint.

I am a molecular biologist by training with a background in ecology, microbiology, and phylogenetics, working as the Manager, Environmental Sustainability at MAS Intimates. This may not be the conventional combination of qualifications that are needed for working in environmental sustainability for an apparel manufacturer. However, I have been pleasantly surprised at how useful these skills have been when overseeing the different areas that come under my purview at MAS Intimates.

Board at Udawalawe describing the invasive removal project

BSL: What drives your Company’s sustainability agenda and what are its key focus areas?

A: MAS Intimates’ efforts to drive a positive impact on the environment are outlined in the MAS Plan for Change, a commitment to creating sustainable change under three areas of focus: products, lives, and the planet.

My role in environmental sustainability broadly focuses on both the product and planet pillars with more attention to emissions & energy, waste, chemicals, water, and biodiversity which fall under the planet pillar of the MAS Plan for Change.  The key focus areas include analyzing the manufacturing footprint and ensuring that we have a minimum environmental impact, working towards reducing our absolute emissions and aligning to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), ensuring that all our facilities follow stringent chemical management guidelines so that our products and processes are free of toxic chemicals, adhering to international standards and restricted substances lists (RSLs), guaranteeing that all waste is diverted from landfill and value-enhancing all non-hazardous waste.

We also safeguard the natural ecosystem in the locality of our facilities and work to conserve and restore biodiversity. At MAS Intimates we have a team of technical experts and specialized teams located at each of our plants that ensure that these standards are maintained.

BSL: Give us an outline of your company’s current sustainability initiatives/projects

A: Sustainability became a focus over a decade ago and has been steadily growing in momentum. It is not simply a business decision anymore but a lifestyle choice.

Our commitment to renewable energy is displayed through rooftop solar installations at Vidiyal, Kilinochchi 

As a global organization, our commitment to renewable energy is high and two of our facilities are already running on 100% renewable electricity, through the purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). Another facility is in the pipeline to enter into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and we are also researching the possibility of offsite renewable energy generation. Installing all our facilities with energy-efficient fixtures, machines and equipment was something we did right at the start of our sustainability journey in the early part of the 2010 decade and we are striving for continuous improvements through regular maintenance and upgrades.

An elephant is seen enjoying the vegetation in a cleared area at Udawalawe National Park

MAS Intimates is passionate about Biodiversity. We started our conservation work in Sri Lanka and as a division completed the restoration of 834 acres in 2021. A few examples of our work include removing invasive species at Udawalwe National Park, Lunugamwehera National Park and Minneriya National Park, restoring mangrove habitats in Koggala, reforestation campaigns at Rakwana, Ella and Foxhill as well as turtle conservation at Panama. Our first international conservation project was initiated in 2022 close to our facility in Kenya. This is a different project to what we have done so far and involves the Masai community in conservation through allowing wildlife to freely graze on their community land, instead of fencing these areas and inhibiting the movement of the wildlife.

Gathering of all the landowners who are partnered with us in the Kenya conservancy project 

In the product space, circularity is a key driver for us as well as our customers. Creating a circular business model by bringing back products into the value chain at the end of life is important to us. As the first step, we are looking to close the loop on our waste by upcycling fabric waste back to the fabric we can use in our products. One of the biggest drawbacks is the slow pace of scaling up of available technology, due to the pandemic and now the impending economic crisis.

Apart from these focus areas, we are of course continuing to improve our standing with water consumption, chemical management, and reducing our waste. We also make it a point to take our best practices and sustainability messages to our communities. Every facility in all our global locations engages with their communities to recycle waste and establish sustainable entrepreneurs, educate the next generations on the necessity to live a sustainable lifestyle, increase green cover, and come together to clean up the community and public lands for the benefit of the community, the environment and much more.  

 BSL: What are your company’s key achievements in the sustainability domain and the reasons behind the success?

A:  Three awards that we have won in the recent past must be highlighted here.

• Winner of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Award 2020 for the MAS Mangroves project.

This project initiated in 2017 focuses on improving Lagoon based habitats through replantation and plant cover enrichment. Our work in mangroves also focuses on the long-term autonomy of the restored habitats by engaging and educating the local communities.

• Presidential Export Awards 2020/21
  • Exporter of the Year
  • Best Exporter in Product Diversification
  • Contributor to Sustainable Development in Exports

Our commitment to converting our products to sustainable alternatives and pursuing new developments in sustainable categories was highlighted with this award.  

• The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Award 2018. Category of Ten Best Corporate Citizens.
  • Triple Bottomline Award: Environmental Sustainability (Planet).
  • Category Award Winners (in 3 categories): Community Relations, Environmental Integration and Environmental Commitment.

BSL:  What are the challenges you see in driving your sustainability agenda forward in the current, extremely volatile business context?

A: The impending global recession may cause the focus on sustainability to be deprioritized, even though it had been picking up momentum in the international markets. We witnessed most of our planned projects being impacted during COVID due to the lockdown. Locally the prevailing situation in the country does bring up some challenges when implementing some initiatives, however, we are unwavering in our commitment to our sustainability goals. Despite these challenges, we will continue to push forward to reach our targets as set out in the MAS Plan for Change.

BSL: Any interesting future plans

A: In an ideal world we would be able to collect post-consumer waste, and recycle it into a high-quality product which can then be re-introduced back into manufacturing streams. There are many hurdles to cross but circularity at scale is an interesting future focus. Another is expanding our commitment to renewable energy. The global energy crisis is making exploring new renewable energy avenues a non-negotiable. Sri Lanka is not geared for many renewable energy mechanisms available globally. There is a lot of potential for us in this space, therefore we have highlighted this as one of our focus areas.

On the biodiversity front, we are looking to expand our conservation work to our global production sites. How they implement projects are different to how we carry out projects locally, making this a learning curve for us. The conservation project in Kenya is a good example. We did not think that a community would readily leave their lands open to grazing wildlife and in turn predators. However, the NGO we are partnering with and the results they showed us after more than a decade of experience convinced us of the benefits to wildlife, the community as well as the ecosystem as a whole.

We have a presence in Indonesia and they are very keen on their commitment to the mangroves their approach to restoration is fueled by their passion to conserve the environment. It is truly inspirational to work with such passionate individuals.

BSL: Any message/s/ recommendation/s to BSL Members aspiring to be leaders in Corporate Sustainability?

 I believe you need to be passionate about sustainability to be working in this field because it goes beyond a traditional job role. What you do from 9-5 amalgamates to your lifestyle and your set of values. If you want to make a difference in the world by conserving and creating a sustainable future and you believe that you can make that difference even though your contribution may seem modest, then let your passion drive you, and remember as the poet Julia Carney stated: “little drops of water make the mighty ocean.”

 

PLASTICS

BSL commences “Promoting Long-term Approaches for a Sustainable, Transformative and Inclusive Circular Economy in Sri Lanka” Project

Sri Lanka has steadily increased its import of plastic, with over 500,000 metric tons (MT) of virgin plastic imported to the island annually, straining the national waste management system. It is estimated that 1.59 million tons of plastic waste are mismanaged in Sri Lanka annually, of which approximately 69,000 tons end up in canals, rivers, and eventually the ocean, endangering marine ecosystems, and even leading to landfill collapses.  In Sri Lanka, the problems associated with plastic waste lie equally with the present haphazard disposal practices as with the rate of generation.

In order to address this plastic waste issue, under the leadership of the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED), BSL is part of a consortium implementing a project titled Promoting Long-term Approaches for a Sustainable, Transformative and Inclusive Circular Economy in Sri Lanka (PLASTICS). The other partners in the consortium are Industrial Services Bureau (ISB), STENUM Asia, and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), India. The project facilitates both plastic waste minimization and management in Sri Lanka by integrating small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in a greener value and supply chain (V/SC), thereby contributing to economic prosperity and environmental sustainability. The 48-month-long action is intended to specifically improve economic development within the plastic V/SC through SME resource efficiency, circular innovation, green finance, and sustainable waste management (SWM) frameworks in the Western Province of the country.

The Western Province will benefit an estimated 5.82 million final indirect beneficiaries covering all household-level consumers. The direct beneficiaries/target groups are 150 SMEs in the plastic V/SC that will benefit from enhanced green business development processes, including (1) brand owners and high plastic users, especially within the food and beverage value chains; (2) plastic producers/importer; (3) informal/formal collectors; (4) recyclers/up-cyclers; with a particular focus on women-led SMEs.

Output Four of the Project for which BSL is responsible will strengthen the traceability, transparency, and compliance to plastic SWM through public-private dialogue, collaboration, and monitoring. BSL will map relevant national/regional/international policies, legal frameworks, regulations, and initiatives related to plastic SWM, and will carry out a desk review of EPR frameworks in the country, region, and beyond. BSL will undertake a consultative process to set up a management framework of the National Clearing House (NCH) for EPR on Plastic Waste so that it can become a self-sustaining resource and reporting center for plastic take-back schemes. Further, the project will help to shape the national EPR dialogue as it will work with global partners in standardizing national EPR frameworks (inclusive of legal frameworks).

To promote EPR standardization, BSL will undertake a national-level communication campaign on EPR. Multiple communication tools including social media will be deployed in rolling out this campaign.  A key target group of the campaign will be SMEs in the plastic sector. BSL will be accountable for communicating EPR at the national level and facilitating EPR policy dialogues.

The Day of the Leopard

Picture credits: Chandika Jayaratne

The Sri Lankan Leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) is a subspecies unique to the country, the apex predator on the island. As an indicator, umbrella and keystone species, the Leopard helps fulfill critical ecological roles in the ecosystem. The Leopard attracts visitors to our national parks and thus is an important revenue generator. The Leopard is listed in the threatened category in the National Red List (2012) due to the ongoing challenges the animal faces because of conflict with humans and loss of suitable habitat.

In 2021, the 1^st of August of each year was declared as Sri Lanka Leopard Day by the Department of Wildlife Conservation, in collaboration with the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS), as it helps celebrate this iconic animal whilst continuing to help raise awareness on the continuing threats faced by the species. 

Picture credits: Chandika Jayaratne

The leopard, Sri Lanka’s apex carnivore, plays extremely important roles in both the ecology of the island and the long-term conservation of Sri Lanka’s biodiversity. “Sitting at the top of the food chain, there is a strong possibility that the leopard is a “keystone” species in Sri Lanka – meaning that its presence within ecosystems here is far more valuable to the effective functioning of those systems than its relatively modest population numbers would suggest. Remove it from those systems and they may teeter and crash, or at least become less productive,” said Dr. Andrew Kittle and Anjali Watson, Founding Trustees at the Wilderness and Wildlife Conservation Trust (WWCT).

Picture credits: Chandika Jayaratne

They further said that its role in the conservation of biodiversity stems from being both a “flagship” and “umbrella” species. “As a breathtakingly beautiful, charismatic large carnivore, the leopard is widely admired and can act as a “flagship” which can rally conservation efforts – and garner often elusive conservation support – which can benefit not just the leopard but a wider array of species. Due to the fact that leopards are extremely adaptable, living in all habitat types in Sri Lanka, and are also wide-ranging and territorial (a factor that ensures even more space is required for a viable population), they are very useful “umbrella” species. This means that ensuring the long-term protection of a robust leopard population in Sri Lanka ensures, by default, the conservation of a host of smaller and more spatially restricted species that fall under its ‘ecological umbrella’.

“WWCT utilizes these aspects to focus on landscape-level conservation of the leopard and wider biodiversity, by identifying leopard refugia and movement corridors which link larger forested and/or protected areas in the Central Highlands as well as in other parts of the leopard’s island-wide range. Once identified, these vital links become the focus of collaborative conservation efforts to ensure their continued use.

“Sri Lanka benefits from the presence of the leopard on its forest trails and mountain slopes – ecologically through its role in the system, economically through the revenue that it garners as a star attraction in National Parks, and aesthetically, marked by the quickening of the pulse and sharp intake of breath that so often characterizes a glimpse of this graceful, elusive predator,” they added.

Life to Our Mangroves – latest developments

More about our flagship project being undertaken jointly with the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), the Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, and selected private sector partners in the Anawilundawa Ramsar wetland sanctuary…

The selected patches have been severely degraded due to intensive shrimp farming projects that took place over a decade ago. The intention is to restore these mangrove patches using established scientific principles, to enhance ecological functions, habitat quality, species diversity, and capacity to provide biodiversity and ecosystem services that are in close approximation to what prevailed before it was converted to the present state.

 

Hydrology in mangrove restoration is often overlooked

Hydrology is often overlooked in mangrove restoration projects, making it an important reason for failure. One of the reasons that hydrology is often not taken into account is that it is not easy to quantify. To overcome the hydrological challenges of the site, the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) made a request to Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) to undertake a comprehensive hydrological study for each plot. At the end of the study SLN developed contour maps for all plots, providing an analysis of the leveling in comparison with the Mean Sea Level. The contour map is helping to develop plans for irrigating the site, either by lagoon waters or waters from the Dutch Canal. Also, it will help in determining the types of species that could be planted in the different plots and understanding the hydrological patterns controlling the seedling establishment and successful growth of mangrove species.

Based on the SLN study engineers from the Department of Wildlife Conservation have mapped out points and designs to build culverts to obtain water for the plots from the Dutch Canal.

Project Field Coordinator – Dushan Samarasinghe

Maintaining genetic adaptation on-site

Proven studies provide information on the stage mangrove fruits become ready for harvesting. Community knowledge and experience are also taken into consideration in seed collection. The fruits or seeds will be

collected from the periphery of the area around the Dutch canal and sanctuary area with the help of community members, villagers, and fishermen. This is considered important, in terms of maintaining genetic adaptations on-site. Nurseries will be established by the propagation of collected fruits and seeds, and will be based on the lessons learned from the on-going pilot study;

The following species will be planted directly at the site:

• Rhizophora mucronata
• Rhizophora apiculata
• Bruguiera gymnorrhiza
• Bruguiera cylindrica
• Avicennia marina
• Avicennia officinalis
• Aegiceras corniculatum

The following species will be planted in nurseries:

• Xylocarpus granatum
• Lumnitzera racemosa
• Scyphiphora hydrophyllacea
• Nypa fruticans
• Heritiera littoralis

Since BSL’s plot 7 is located at the edge of the Dutch canal it is proposed to plant Rhizophora, Bruguiera, and Xylocorpus as the most preferred species. These species require adequate water availability to survive and grow. The landward plots will be restored with mixed species.

In addition to these, the Project is currently carrying out biodiversity surveys and soil analyses to establish baseline information for the Project.

With the CBD COP 15 approaching, Biodiversity Sri Lanka examines what nature-positive means for business?

In December 2022 the world has a unique chance to renew its relationship with nature by adopting a new and ambitious post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) during the 15th conference of the parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Nature underpins prosperity and well-being through the services provided to society and the economy. People rely on nature for services without which their lives would not be possible, such as clean air and water, fertile soil for food, and pest and disease regulation. The interactions between the different elements of nature provide “services” or contributions to society and the economy worth USD $43 trillion. More than half the world’s GDP depends heavily on the functioning of these natural ecosystems. What does nature-positive mean for business?

These “building blocks” guide businesses to act now to halt and reverse nature loss, and credibly contribute to a nature-positive world, with positive impacts outweighing negative impacts on nature from 2030 onwards.

FOR SUPPORT IN THE APPLICATION OF THESE ”BUILDING BLOCKS” – PLEASE CONTACT US

1. Assess and Prioritize

Assess realms of nature (biodiversity, freshwater, land, oceans) potentially relevant to operations and the value chain, and prioritize impacts, dependencies and opportunities for regeneration.

Businesses should consider both the living (i.e., biodiversity) and non-living elements that are potentially relevant within all realms of nature (land, freshwater and oceans). Then prioritize them based on an assessment of the material impacts and dependencies on biodiversity and ecosystem services within their direct operations and value chains, and the related risks and opportunities for business, people and the natural world.

2. Commit

Set a baseline and commit to ambitious, time-bound, science-informed goals and targets to both halt and reverse the loss of nature.

Building on existing commitments and actions related to nature, businesses should aim to both:

• Halt – Minimize their contributions to negative outcomes for nature and reduce pressure on nature;
• Reverse – Maximize their contributions to positive outcomes in terms of health, abundance, diversity and resilience of species, populations and ecosystems

3. Measure & Value

Use validated, interrelated indicators to measure nature outcomes that inform decision-making.

Businesses typically start by measuring and reporting on their business response or actions and resulting change in applicable pressures on nature: land or sea-use change, direct exploitation, climate change, pollution, and invasive species. Businesses can use a framework of indicators to gain a holistic picture of progress on nature goals and targets in order to inform decision-making within and outside businesses

4. Act

Businesses should embed nature considerations and aim for nature-positive outcomes across all their spheres of control and influence, prioritizing where there is greatest impact and leverage

Systematically apply the mitigation hierarchy within and beyond corporate operations to reduce pressures and have positive contributions across your value chain.

Halt: Businesses should give priority to avoiding and reducing pressures on nature across all scales of action, particularly for critical ecosystems

Reverse: Businesses should also put in place complementary actions to protect, restore and regenerate nature, including in their wider spheres of influence, including site-based practices as well as product and business-model design.

5. Transform

Collaborate to achieve nature-positive outcomes across all spheres of control and influence, including policy, financing and capacity building.

While the potential negative and positive impacts and opportunities will vary across value chains, net-positive is the aspirational direction for all businesses. To help scale up actions and contribute to true systems transformation, businesses should aim to catalyze lasting change and proactively collaborate with key stakeholders at all system levels

6. Disclose & Report

Prepare to disclose material nature-related information

Following in the footsteps of climate, businesses should be aware of the growing momentum for nature-related disclosures to help shift finance away from nature-negative outcomes and toward nature-positive outcomes. Business responses to manage those risks and opportunities, including relevant governance structures, strategies, and targets, that will inform investment decisions in the financial system and real economy Thus, disclosure and reporting support the implementation of the other building blocks.

Celebrating The Magnificent and Gentle Giant of The Animal Kingdom

Picture credits: Cinnamon Nature Trails

“All’s not well with the Sri Lankan elephant with more than 350 dying each year (on average) due to the Human Elephant Conflict (HEC). Many scientists who study Sri Lankan wild elephants are of the view that maybe the tipping point has already been reached, where viable, stable populations are not prevalent in Sri Lanka anymore. It is imperative therefore that all stakeholders urgently get-together and implement a holistic, overarching conservation plan (details of which have been talked about for so long) to save this wonderful animal that has brought so much fame and glory to Sri Lanka”. Srilal Miththapala

On August 12, we commemorated World Elephant Day to raise awareness of the possible threats to Elephants and to focus on acknowledging the significance of the Elephant in the ecosystem.

The two baby elephants are under the protection of the herd. Image courtesy of Chitral Jayatilake

The Sri Lankan subspecies Elephas maximus Maximus is said to be the biggest and darkest of the Asian elephants. These elephants were once spread out throughout our island, but construction operations have cleared forests and disrupted their long-distance migration patterns, forcing them into smaller more restricted locations.

In Sri Lanka, a herd can have up to 20 individuals. The matriarch, or eldest female, is in charge. According to reports, herds in Sri Lanka include nursing units, which are made up of lactating females and their young, and juvenile care units, which are made up of females and young elephants. Since the start of the 19th century, the number of elephants in Sri Lanka has decreased by over 65%. Currently, killing an elephant is punishable by death under Sri Lankan law, which protects the species.

Image by Rajiv Welikala.

Elephants in Sri Lanka are endangered species. They may weigh up to 5400 kg and stand an average height of roughly 11 feet. An adult elephant would often consume 300–400 pounds of food every day and drink 25–50 gallons of water. In general, a Sri Lankan elephant lives 55 to 70 years, which is comparable to the lifespan of an African elephant.

The main issue facing Asian Elephant conservation, particularly in Sri Lanka, is the Human Elephant Conflict. Asia will inevitably release more and more space for human settlements and novel development projects due to its extraordinarily high population density and quick rate of population expansion. As a result, elephants are losing land and habitats that can feed them and support their way of life. Because of this, more than two-thirds of Sri Lanka’s elephants reside outside of protected areas. This opens the door for significant conflict between the two species. Several strategies, including elephant translocation, elephant drives, and electric fences, have been used to reduce it. Education and learning to live in harmony with nature are the only and best ways to address issues associated with Human Elephant Conflict. Future research should focus on Modern and Co-Existence Solutions for the conflict.