News & market updates

John Keells CG Auto (part of John Keells) opened BYD's ninth Sri Lanka showroom in Batticaloa, expanding NEV retail coverage with plans for service and spare-parts facilities; Keells has deployed 46 fast chargers and, with GreenEV, expanded public charger access to 129 locations island-wide.

ADB will deploy $450 million to help Cambodia and Sri Lanka-$250m for Cambodia's RISE program and $200m (including $100m additional financing) for Sri Lanka's Trade, Investment and Industry Development Program. Measures include income support for over 1 million Cambodian households, promotion of clean energy and reforms to boost Sri Lankan trade, investment and export diversification.

ADB will deploy $450m regionally and provide a $200m policy-based loan to Sri Lanka (including $100m in additional financing) to help shield the economy from the Middle East conflict. The program backs reforms to modernise trade systems, boost SME competitiveness, attract investment and diversify exports.

Hutch has opened a Kandy Signature+ outlet, its third sustainability-focused retail store, with nearly 90% of the interior made from repurposed materials, powered by renewable energy and offering e-waste recycling; the company says it will expand the Signature network further.

GoodWe and the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority hosted the Solar + Storage Forum 2026 in Colombo, drawing over 400 attendees and showcasing GoodWe's residential, C&I and utility storage solutions. Government and industry speakers highlighted energy storage as critical to Sri Lanka's target of 70% renewable electricity by 2030.

Talawakelle Tea Estates' Somerset estate sold a single lot for Rs. 3,050/kg in March 2025, the highest price for the region. The estate also generated 3,622,254 kWh from its 1,100 kW hydro plant in FY2025/26 and has introduced digital weighing, cloud monitoring and drone fertiliser use.

Hayleys PLC (via Hayleys Plantations) has partnered with UNDP BIOFIN to implement Payment for Ecosystem Services projects across its estates, covering Talawakelle Tea Estates, Horana Plantations and Kelani Valley Plantations. Projects include watershed conservation, biodiversity-restoration with tourism integration and a PES model evaluation.

Hayleys Plantations, partnering with UNDP BIOFIN, is advancing Payment for Ecosystem Services projects at Talawakelle Tea Estates (Great Western, Wattagoda), Horana Plantations' Bambarakelly Estate and Kelani Valley's Halgolla Estate to fund watershed protection, biodiversity restoration and tourism-linked conservation.

India's assistance to Sri Lanka has exceeded $7.5 billion, including more than $850 million in grants. The aid has supported projects across all 25 districts in infrastructure, housing, health, education, agriculture, renewable energy, railways and industrial development.

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce will host a business networking session with a 30-member Indian Chamber of Commerce delegation on 28 July at the Hilton Colombo Residences to connect Sri Lankan firms with Indian companies. Participating sectors include manufacturing, construction, healthcare, IT, renewable energy and tourism.

Dr Binod Chaudhary said his group's BYD venture with John Keells expanded into 25 countries within a year and credited the partnership for that growth. He urged Sri Lankan boards to pair sound governance with global ambition, citing Wai Wai's export success and the need to embrace AI.

Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC won six awards at the 2026 Asian Banking and Finance Awards — the most by any Sri Lankan bank. The honours cover retail, wholesale and corporate banking and recognise its AI SME credit underwriting, green financing (including a Rs.15 billion green bond) and a loan book above Rs.2 trillion.

Ceylon Chamber will host a business networking session with a 30-member Indian Chamber of Commerce delegation on 28 July at the Hilton Colombo Residences, offering Sri Lankan firms opportunities to explore trade, investment and partnerships across sectors including manufacturing, construction, healthcare, IT, renewables and tourism.

Despite political backlash, the global shift to cleaner energy and converging sustainability disclosure standards (ISSB, EU rules) is accelerating, driven by large investors and prompting manufacturers and financiers to adopt carbon accounting, taxonomy-aligned finance and digital product passports.

CICT has fully electrified its RTG crane fleet at the Port of Colombo and is converting diesel ITVs to electric, adding charging stations, energy-management systems and water-reuse measures as part of a broader sustainability, community and biodiversity programme.

Solar and wind are now the cheapest sources of new electricity generation in most parts of the world, shifting renewable energy from a reputational choice to a cost-saving, price-stability option for companies. Firms are adopting rooftop solar, PPAs and storage across manufacturing, retail, logistics and large IT users to cut costs and meet rising disclosure rules.

Global sustainable consulting is forecast to reach $27.21bn by 2034, growing at a 9.5% CAGR from $11.79bn in 2025 as mandatory ESG rules and decarbonisation drive demand for sustainability advisory. Manufacturing, energy, infrastructure/green building and professional services are the main demand centers, with consultancies expanding digital and operational capabilities.

Green finance is emerging in Sri Lanka to channel investment into renewable energy, green bonds, ESG-linked lending and sustainable infrastructure to boost climate resilience and economic recovery. Banks, capital markets, developers, tourism operators and tech firms are highlighted as key participants.

Sri Lanka's large EEZ and strategic maritime location offer opportunities to grow a Blue Economy across fisheries, ports/logistics, tourism, aquaculture, marine biotechnology and ocean renewables. Realising this will require ESG-aligned investment, tech adoption, sustainable management and coordinated policy.

Hatton National Bank (HNB) says sustainability is a core strategic imperative, citing its successful Rs. 10 billion Sustainability Bond issuance and its decision to exclude coal financing. The bank urged board-level governance, better climate data and alignment with CBSL’s Sustainable Finance Roadmap 2.0 and the SLSBI to integrate sustainability across Sri Lankan banks.

South Asia Gateway Terminals (SAGT) has reduced GHG emissions intensity by 21% versus its 2019/20 baseline and has recorded annual throughputs above 2 million TEUs in 2018, 2019 and 2024. Key measures include hybridising 28 of 31 RTG cranes (≈58% less diesel per move) and a 460 kW rooftop solar PV system generating 44,000 kWh/month.

CA Sri Lanka is adopting and localising the ISSB's IFRS S1 and S2 as SLFRS S1/S2 and has launched a Preparers' Guide, a Sustainability Governance Code for finance professionals and a CSRSA qualification to strengthen sustainability reporting and governance across the economy.

CA Sri Lanka president Tishan Subasinghe says the institute is promoting sustainability reporting — including a Preparers' Guide to SLFRS S1 & S2 and the CSRSA qualification — to improve corporate transparency, resilience and Sri Lanka's international competitiveness.

Ceylinco Life (Ceylinco Holdings PLC) had 32 green branch buildings by end-2025 that generated ~1.12 GWh of solar energy, harvested 3.08M litres of rainwater and recycled 1.386M litres of water. The company says it has embedded ESG across investments, operations and products and plans to expand renewables and green branches.

L B Finance (LFIN.N0000) launched ESG Roadmap 2.0 with targets to 2030, earned an AAA ESG Rating and reported 4,018 tonnes of independently verified avoided CO2 from its vehicle and solar financing in 2025/26.

Companies can cut carbon footprints and reduce energy costs with low-cost steps — upgrading equipment, switching to renewables, optimizing transport, working with suppliers, reducing waste and measuring emissions to find savings.

Hemas Holdings (HHL.N0000) says it has recovered 2.9 million kg of plastic by end-FY2025/26 as part of its Environmental Agenda 2030, pursuing plastic neutrality by 2030 while improving water efficiency, expanding renewables and scaling social/health initiatives.

Adopting circular economy practices can turn Sri Lanka's municipal, agricultural and industrial waste into economic value through recycling, reuse, and waste-to-energy, improving resource efficiency and creating jobs. Opportunities span manufacturing, construction, agriculture, packaging/retail, and digital technologies for material tracking and financing.

Citizens Development Business Finance PLC (CDB) has joined the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF), committing to measure and disclose GHG emissions of its lending and investment portfolios as part of a 700+ institution network. CDB says this aligns it with global disclosure standards and helps set climate targets including alignment with SLFRS S2.

Hayleys Fabric PLC won the Climate Action Award at the 3rd Global ESG & Sustainability Conference & Awards 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, recognising its measurable climate action including SBTi-validated Net Zero targets, renewable energy investments and decarbonisation initiatives.