| Industry group |
Areas of key impact based on order of materiality
|
Current responses |
| Transportation |
Safety and health |
• Published and reviewed policies for zero accidents at our Port operation
• Periodic audits - HS&E Risk Management (March 2007)
• Checking and routine maintenance of equipment for safety and fit for purpose, with equipment audits
• Continuous training on OHS
• Medical checks, medical centre availability, emergency treatment and medical assistance
• Sound emergency response - trained team, dedicated emergency equipment |
| Labour practices |
• Local hiring and local opportunities creation
• Ensuring group policies on minimum wages, equal opportunity, child labour etc. are met, even for contract labour via the terms of contract
• Non-executive staff, employed in large numbers by port and bunkering operations, covered by collective agreements |
| Environment |
• Preventive maintenance of equipment, waste treatment and training personnel to counter and contain spillage in terminal spillage containment equipment and materials available
• Compliance with MARPOL regulations
• Disposing of hazardous wastes (sludge, waste oil and residues) to MPP authorised agencies
• Ensuring industrial effluents comply with local regulatory requirements, treatment of sewage and monitoring and reporting of waste |
| Leisure |
Environment |
• Measures taken to preserve the bio-diversity of sensitive localities in which we operate hotels - Habarana, Trincomalee, Kandy and Yala in Sri Lanka, as well as some of our resort locations in the Maldives
• Maintaining CEA standards of discharged effluents and recycling waste water
• A number of our resorts practice recycling and reusing programmes for glass, plastic and paper products
• Implemented audit recommendations to reduce on power and energy consumption
• All “Chaaya” and “Cinnamon” branded hotels have obtained ISO 14001 environmental certification
• Our Destination Management business has opted for early adoption of the Environmental Emissions Act with regard to their fleet of vehicles |
| Safety, health and hygiene |
• All Cinnamon branded hotels and three of the five “Chaaya” resorts are certified for the food safety management system against ISO 22000 (others in progress)
• Minimum quality standards required to be maintained by our branded hotels that cover FTO standards of health and safety practices, pest control, safety and emergency preparedness etc.
• Training on HACCP in the supply chain
• Regular internal/external audits are carried out to ensure the standards are maintained in facilities such as kitchens, rooms, public areas and banquets |
| Society |
• Promoting responsible traveller concepts among our clients and showcasing of local heritage and cultures as part of our brand promise
• Significant contributions to the local population in terms of hiring, procurement and indirect opportunities
• Active participation in JKH group social projects such as HIV/AIDS awareness, English language scholarship programme and village adoption as strategic socio-economic activities |
| Property |
Safety and health |
• Building safety measures considering seismic activity zones, fire protection according to BS standards, CCTV, access controls, shatter proof glasses, emergency plans
• Dedicated safety managers appointed for construction safety
• Comprehensive clauses on health and safety built into contracts of outsourced contractors |
| Environment |
• Projects are undertaken after conducting an environmental impact assessment, where applicable
• Electricity consumption continuously monitored and savings accrued
• Careful monitoring of water consumption
• Systematic segregation of garbage and disposal to municipality, where applicable |
| Labour practices |
• Comprehensive clauses related to local labour, housing for labour, child labour, fair wages and forced labour built in to contract of outsourced contractors |
| Consumer Foods and Retail |
Product responsibility |
• Meat processing plant is ISO 9001:2004, HACCP certified and SLSI certified
• Responsible labelling in relation to product lifecycle
• Focus on maintaining high plant hygiene practices across all facilities
• Rigorous training of staff in maintaining high food safety measures
• Working closely with supply chain on maintaining required quality standards |
| Environment |
• Developmental programme to convert the slaughter waste into by- product like animal feed
• Sludge being generated from the ETP at the plant is tested and given to the surrounding villages as manure
• Treatment of waste water/effluents
• Energy and electricity monitoring for conservation and continuous efficiency targets
• Involvement in nurturing and promoting small farming communities also includes creating awareness about healthy environmental practices, use of pesticides etc.
• Launch of the “Red Bag” towards promoting reduced use of polythene |
| Labour practices |
• Continuous health and safety monitoring and review
• Systematic medical checks, emergency treatment and medical assistance
• Focus on ensuring that group policies on equal opportunity, child labour/forced labour etc. extend to proportionately large numbers of contract staff |
| Financial Services |
John Keells Stockbrokers is the only subsidiary in this sector. Sustainability practices of our
associates, Nations Trust Bank PLC and Union Assurance PLC, are found in their respective
Annual Reports. |
| IT |
Technological obsolescence and information security |
• Building measures of countering risk of technological obsolescence in to product and service design
• Building Intellectual Property (IP) by creation of new software products
• JKOA has many firsts in bringing new technologies to the country - e.g. Microsoft CRM packaging allowing for sales force automation, service instructions and monitoring via short messaging services linked to in-house software programmes, field operating support system developed in-house
• Systems are being developed against ISO 27001 standard |
| Labour practices |
• Consultative sessions and engagements with employees - e.g. JKOA - Joint consultative committee
• Regular health checks
• Continuous health and safety monitoring review |
| Environment |
• Greater initiatives towards Green IT concepts
• Energy saving initiatives
• Responsible disposal of e-waste after maximising recycling possibilities |
| Other (Plantations related companies) |
Product responsibility |
• Three factories (that contribute to 40 per cent of production) are HACCP certified
• Focus on maintaining lowest residual pesticide levels |
| Labour practices |
• The commodity broking unit adopts the code of ethics of the Colombo Tea Brokers' Association
• Transparent mechanism for financial dealing with tea suppliers and clients through uniform disclosures
• Employing a larger number of women in workforce - empowerment of non-urban women |
| Centre |
Economy |
• Entrenching sustainability values into corporate value system - robust governance, risk review and internal control systems
• Over the past decade 38.2 per cent of the group’s valued added was distributed to employees, 16.2 per cent to state coffers
• Focus on shareholder value creation while addressing the interests of all stakeholder groups
• Infrastructure investments that also provide public benefit - ports, bunkering
• Creating 9,992 jobs for the local economy and significantly more in indirect opportunities
• Local sourcing and entrepreneur development through the Group Initiatives (Central sourcing) function
• Internationalisation strategies gradually increasing foreign exchange earnings repatriated to the country |
| Society |
• Financial, technical support to the John Keells Social Responsibility Foundation, a dedicated body for championing the group's social responsibility projects
• Providing educational supports such as English language scholarship programmes, undergraduate soft skills programmes, neighbourhood schools programme
• Involvement in core health related issues such as sponsoring cataract operations for a targeted 2000 recipients and conducting extensive and focused HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns
• Taking on community development projects and improving livelihoods via village adoption projects, creating sustainable employment opportunities taking our BPO operations to villages, sponsoring Sri Lankan arts |
