The Sustainable Development Council emphasizes the vital role of the private sector in advancing inclusive growth and supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The Sustainable Development Council emphasizes the vital role of the private sector in advancing inclusive growth and supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A significant milestone in this effort was the launch of the Strategy to Promote Inclusive and Sustainable Business to Achieve the SDGs (ISB Strategy) in early 2024, which identifies the promotion of impact reporting as one of its five key focus areas.

Aligned with this national priority, the second capacity-building session under the Improving Transparency for Sustainable Business (ITSB) initiative was successfully concluded, marking another important step toward strengthening transparency, accountability, and sustainable business practices within Sri Lanka’s textile and apparel sector.

The session was jointly organized by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the Sustainable Development Council (SDC), the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) and the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) with the support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).

Following the first capacity-building session held in July, this workshop advanced the dialogue by focusing on the GRI Apparel Sector Standards, key labour impacts and material labour topics, and case studies from leading Sri Lankan companies. Importantly, the session also included practical exercises designed to guide participants in identifying material topics for their companies, conducting materiality assessments and applying the GRI Topic Standards effectively.

The session featured presentations by Dr. Leoni Vaas, Group General Manager – Hirdaramani and Ms. Prashani Illangasekara, General Manager- Group ESG, Hayleys PLC. Both speakers shared valuable insights into sustainability reporting frameworks, ESG integration, organizational ESG journeys and the role of impact reporting in enabling effective decision-making.

More than 100 professionals from the textile and apparel sector, regulatory bodies, and development agencies participated in the event, underscoring the industry’s strong commitment to sustainable and responsible business practices. To provide participants with continued post-workshop support in applying the GRI Standards for impact reporting, a dedicated ITSB Sri Lanka WhatsApp Community Group has been created. This group will serve as a convenient platform for ongoing guidance, resource sharing and peer-to-peer learning.

This session represents an important contribution toward making impact measurable and supporting the sector’s transition to greater transparency and sustainability.