NDB Bank employees volunteered their time and effort recently, to participate in scientific data collection activities at the Anawilundawa "Accelerated Natural Regeneration of Mangrove" (ANRM) project, to commemorate World Ozone Day 2023.
This event is a part of the Bank’s ‘Employee Volunteerism’ initiative and was jointly implemented by the Corporate Sustainability and Human Resources Departments of the Bank. The volunteers were the Graduates passed out from the University of Wayamba in the Banking and Finance stream that have been enrolled in the Graduate Trainee program at NDB. Participation at this event was part of their structured development under ‘Employee Volunteerism’ with the objective of increasing employee engagement, creating a more cohesive team, providing new experiences to broaden their vision, teaching the importance of acting together to tackle the challenges of our time and most importantly providing opportunities to give back to the society and environment.
The 'Life to Our Mangroves' project is a long-term sustainability initiative of the Bank that helps reduce climate change, falling in line with the theme of the 2023 World Ozone Day - “Montreal Protocol: fixing the ozone layer and reducing climate change”.
The ozone layer, which shields life on Earth by absorbing the majority of the sun's damaging ultraviolet (UV) radiation, is made up of the molecule ozone (O3), which is made up of three oxygen atoms. Ozone is mostly found in the stratosphere of the Earth. Increased UV radiation would impact ecosystems, the environment, and human health if the ozone layer didn't exist.
In order to both adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change; mangrove restoration is essential. Mangrove habitat restoration and conservation will increase their resistance to climate-related stresses and retain their essential roles in climate regulation. Climate change and World Ozone Day are interconnected through their shared importance as environmental issues, their reliance on international agreements and cooperation, and the overlapping impacts of certain substances on both the ozone layer and the climate. Both issues highlight the need for collective action to protect the Earth's atmosphere and ensure a sustainable future.
The 'Life to Our Mangroves' project is done in partnership with Biodiversity Sri Lanka (BSL) and guided by the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) and the Wayamba University (WUSL).
Initiated in 2022, the project is a Nature-based Solution (Nbs) that will generate multiple environmental as well as socio-economic benefits. The Bank has committed to restore 1 hectare of degraded mangrove forest patches and restoration activities are being conducted using 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.
As a responsible corporate citizen, the Bank will continue to work towards preserving our environment by restoring and protecting our valuable ecosystems which are essential to the well-being and prosperity of all Sri Lankans.
NDB Bank is the fourth-largest listed commercial bank in Sri Lanka. The Bank was recently named the Retail Bank of the Year (Sri Lanka) at Asian Banking & Finance Retail Banking Awards 2023 and the Best Corporate Bank 2023 by Asiamoney and also emerged as the Most Awarded Corporate in Sri Lanka in 2022 for the second consecutive year, as per the annual rankings of Sri Lankan publication LMD. The Bank was adjudged the Best Bank in Sri Lanka 2022 by Global Finance USA and Euromoney in their annual best bank awards programmes. Additionally, The Bank was named one of the "Top 50 Best Workplaces in Sri Lanka 2022" by Great Place To Work, USA. NDB is the parent company of the NDB Group, comprising capital market subsidiary companies, together forming a unique banking and capital market services group. The Bank is committed to empowering the nation and its people through meaningful financial and advisory services powered by digital banking solutions.