Hayleys Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC shines at Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards 2019

Hayleys Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC ( TTEL) was presented with two Silver Awards at the recently concluded Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards ( ASRA) 2019. Hosted virtually from Singapore due to the ongoing COVID- 19 pandemic, the event saw over 200 senior business leaders, sustainability partners, academia, trade associations and advocacy organisations attend the event via a virtual conference, with Swedish Ambassador to Singapore Niclas Kvarnström presiding as the Guest of Honour.

“The adoption of responsible environmental, social and governance practices has become essential to ensure businesses survive the volatile economic landscape of the future. As such transparency, disclosure and data- driven strategies have become integral – not just in how businesses are perceived but also in how they can thrive and survive into the future. We are therefore delighted to have TTEL recognised among other regional corporates for our achievements in this increasingly important field,” Hayleys Plantations Managing Director, Dr. Roshan Rajadurai said in a media release issued by the company.

TTEL was presented with the Silver Awards for Asia’s Best Integrated Report and Asia’s Best Integrated Report Design. Judged by an independent panel, entries are run through a multi- tier evaluation process, followed by a comprehensive due diligence process taking into consideration the reputation of the finalists among their stakeholders in the final judging process.

“We are honoured to have been recognised among leading corporates in the Asian region for our transparency and p ro c e d u r a l e x c e l l e n c e. Sustainability reporting has become an integral tool in communicating how we manage our material economic, environmental and social impacts, and risks in order to capture fresh opportunities to enhance sustainability in our business,” TTEL Director/ CEO Senaka Alawattegama said.

Hayleys said the ASRA has continued to raise the bar for quality and authentic reporting, and has introduced healthy competition among corporates in Asia. The winners for the 2019 ceremony were selected from 461 entries received from 16 countries, of which 80 companies were shortlisted from 13 countries to compete in the finals across 19 categories.