HAYLEYS PLANTATIONS
Q: What sustainability initiatives has your organisation prioritised – and how are strategic partnerships enabling their success?
A: Sustainability is integrated across the Hayleys Plantations group with a focus on climate resilience, soil regeneration and water stewardship.
Among its notable initiatives, Horana Plantations (HPL) advanced its biochar production project, transforming agricultural residue into carbon rich biochar that improves soil structure and contributes to carbon capture.
At Kelani Valley Plantations (KVPL), Halgolla Estate became the world’s first tea estate to earn the prestigious regenagricertification for regenerative agriculture, reflecting its long-term commitment to soil health, biodiversity and land productivity.
KVPL also launched the national Surakimu Ganga national environmental programme to conserve the Kelani River catchment area, and chairs the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) Sri Lanka’s Water and Ocean Stewardship Working Group.
Meanwhile, Talawakelle Tea Estates (TTEL) continued exploringchemical leasing and agro-input optimisation approaches to reduce environmental impact while improving cost efficiency.
These initiatives are accelerated through strategic partnerships including TTEL’s role as apatron member of the UNGC’s Climate Emergency Task Force, and collaborations with Solidaridad Network Asia and the Nucleus Foundation.
Q: How does corporate reporting support continuous improvement in sustainability performance?
A: Corporate reporting plays a central role by embedding transparency, accountability and structured performance review into management processes. Through integrated reporting, environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) indicators are systematically tracked, progress against strategic priorities is assessed and improvement gaps are identified.
The effectiveness of this approach has been recognised through multiple external reporting accolades. TTEL was named Overall Winner at the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka (CMA) Excellence in Integrated Reporting Awards 2025, securing awards for Best Integrated Report in the Plantation Sector, Best Disclosure of Sustainability Reporting and Best Concise Integrated Report.
In addition, KVPL received international recognition at the Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards 2025 for Asia’s Best Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Reporting, and secured the Gold Award in the Plantation Category at the Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) TAGS Awards for five consecutive years.
Q: How do you balance short-term profitability with long-term sustainable outcomes?
A: This is achieved through disciplined financial management supported by diversified portfolios. TTEL focusses on premium and value added tea segments, crop diversification and tourism offerings that improve margins while reducing exposure to climate and market volatility.
Investments in tea tourism experiences and renewable energy including hydro and solar power further support cost efficiency and long-term asset value.
HPL manages volatility through a diversified portfolio of tea, rubber and export agriculture, complemented by soil health improvement and water stewardship initiatives that preserve long-term productivity.
Meanwhile, KVPL’s diversified portfolio – spanning tea, rubber and renewable energy – enables reinvestment in regenerative agriculture, energy transition initiatives, biodiversity projects, intellectual tourism and agroforestry.
Continued investment in workforce wellbeing and skills development sustains productivity and stability, supporting long-term performance.
Q: What does sustainability mean for your company – and how does it align with your core business strategy?
A: Sustainability for Hayleys Plantations involves building long-term resilience by integrating environmental stewardship, operational efficiency and people development into our core plantation strategy.
At TTEL, this is reflected in energy efficient factory modernisation, expanded use of renewable energy and the Green Building Council of Sri Lanka’s gold rated Green SL certification of the Kiruwanaganga Tea Factory.
HPL strengthens resilience through water stewardship, soil conservation and crop diversification in low country estates while KVPL invests in advanced regenerative agriculture and renewable energy including the world’s first regenagri certified tea estate.
Q: What specific targets and actions does your organisation have for reducing its carbon footprint and increasing renewable energy use?
A: Hayleys Plantations has aligned its long-term climate ambition with a net zero pathway by 2050, supported by a structured transition approach across estates and factories.
Our focus is on progressively reducing emissions while increasing the share of renewable energy in operations through energy efficient tea and rubber processing, optimised fuel use and greater reliance on biomass, hydro and solar power. Climate resilient agricultural practices, reforestation and shade tree management further enhance natural carbon sequestration.
TTEL leads this journey as the world’s first plantation company to set committed and verified greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets aligned with the science based targets initiative (SBTi), reinforcing a credible decarbonisation pathway towards net zero by 2050.
Q: Who is responsible for sustainability oversight? And how is it embedded in daily operations and decision making?
A: Sustainability oversight is exercised at board and senior management level with the managing director and leadership team providing strategic direction, supported by structured governance, risk management and management review processes.
These priorities are translated into daily operations through estate and factory management structures where sustainability responsibilities form part of routine decision making.
Certified management systems, internal audits and performance monitoring ensure sustainability considerations are integrated into capital investment decisions, operational planning and improvement initiatives. This governance structure ensures sustainability is treated as an essential element of everyday plantation management.
– Compiled by Prashanthi Cooray
COMPANY DETAILS
Telephone 2627700 | Email info@hayleysplantations.com | Website www.hayleys.com/plantations
This content is available for subscribers only.
