SriLankan Airlines Environmental Sustainability policy statement.

SriLankan Airlines is committed to a sustainable future for aviation by creating a positive impact on our planet and its inhabitants.

Our Environmental Sustainability Focus Areas

As the national carrier, SriLankan Airlines remains dedicated to its responsibility of safeguarding the environment for future generations.

In line with this commitment, the airline has adopted an eco-conscious approach, embedding sustainable practices into its daily operations.

Continuously striving for innovation, SriLankan Airlines seeks new opportunities to implement impactful sustainability initiatives, minimizing its environmental footprint while advancing its green corporate philosophy.

SriLankan Airlines Environmental Sustainability and Bio diversity conservation Projects

Conservation and Restoration of Blue Carbon Eco systems

Blue carbon ecosystems—comprising mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes—play a crucial role in sequestering carbon and mitigating climate change. These ecosystems not only store significant amounts of carbon but also provide coastal protection, biodiversity support, and livelihood opportunities for local communities. However, these ecosystems are under threat due to human activities and climate change, necessitating urgent conservation and restoration efforts.

Importance of Blue Carbon Ecosystems

Blue Economy and Blue Carbon

The concept of the blue economy encompasses sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth while ensuring ocean health.

SriLankan Airlines home base is surrounded by one of Sri Lanka’s most beautiful and bio diversely rich eco systems around which fishing communities thrive. Blue carbon ecosystems contribute significantly to the blue economy. Further the Airline sees this unique opportunity as a focal point of putting its environmental policies into practice.

1. Enhancing Economic Opportunities: Sustainable management of mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes supports fisheries, aquaculture, and eco-tourism industries.
2. Promoting Climate Resilience: Integrating blue carbon conservation into coastal development strategies mitigates climate impacts and strengthens community resilience.
3. Encouraging Sustainable Infrastructure: Investing in nature-based solutions such as mangrove restoration reduces reliance on costly artificial coastal defenses.

1. Carbon Sequestration: Blue carbon ecosystems are among the most efficient natural carbon sinks, storing carbon for centuries to millennia.
2. Biodiversity Support and coastal protection: These ecosystems serve as critical habitats for numerous marine and terrestrial species. Mangroves and salt marshes act as natural buffers against storm surges, erosion, and rising sea levels.
3. Fisheries and Livelihoods: They support local fisheries and provide economic benefits through ecotourism and sustainable harvesting.

Conservation of Seagrass meadows

As Sri Lanka’s national carrier, SriLankan Airlines has taken steps to support environmental projects, such as reducing carbon emissions, sustainable tourism, and conservation efforts. Our environmental sustainability initiatives revolve around Blue carbon eco systems , include seagrass conservation.

Seagrass ecosystems play a crucial role in carbon sequestration, marine biodiversity, and coastal protection.

Seagrasses are responsible for 11 per cent of the organic carbon buried in the ocean and is important to the equilibrium of the planet. Their meadows are patches of flowering plants that grow in shallow ocean waters and can capture carbon up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests, making it a Blue Carbon sequestering ecosystem with incredible ability to mitigate climate change.

Seagrass meadows, however, are currently under serious threat from human activity.

SriLankan is proud to play its part in facilitating national training in conservation of seagrass Blue Carbon ecosystems by creating knowledge, addressing learning gaps in the latest research techniques and creating awareness about the importance of this indispensable resource.

Conservation of Mangroves

Sri Lanka’s mangrove forests are not only limited in size but are also declining at an alarming rate, highlighting the urgent need for conservation.

Serving as the country’s first line of defense against natural threats from the sea—including coastal erosion and extreme events like tsunamis—mangroves play a crucial role in protecting coastal communities and ecosystems.

Recognizing the importance of preserving these vital ecosystems, SriLankan Airlines, in collaboration with the Forest Department of Sri Lanka, launched long term mangrove conservation and restoration projects in the Mangrove forests located in Islands around the Negombo Lagoon.

Biodiversity conservation

Recognizing the importance of preserving natural ecosystems, the airline actively engages in initiatives that protect and restore biodiversity, particularly in Sri Lanka’s rich and diverse habitats. These efforts align with global environmental goals and contribute to the preservation of vital ecosystems.

SriLankan Airlines has partnered with various environmental initiatives over the years, including projects aimed at conservation and marine life protection.

One of the conservation efforts the Airline has been engaged is in national capacity building with regard to Sharks and Ray conservation which is part of a larger global initiative to monitor and protect these species.

Sri Lanka lacks data and knowledge to monitor sharks by shark tagging, Shark tagging helps researchers track the movements of sharks, gather data on their migration patterns, and understand their behavior, all of which are crucial for conserving these vital marine species.

Sharks are often threatened by overfishing and habitat destruction, and tagging provides valuable data that can be used to inform policies to safeguard them. SriLankan Airlines has supported such initiatives, by sponsoring research or collaborating with environmental organizations, to enhance awareness and drive conservation efforts.