Shivani Hegde, Nestlé Managing Director receiving an award from David Bent, Keynote Speaker at ‘Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Award 2017’

Nestlé swept the board at the prestigious Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Awards 2017, winning one of the highest number of awards at the event. In addition to winning the highly coveted Best Corporate Citizen -Manufacturing sector and Triple Bottom Line - Social Sustainability (People) Awards, the ‘Good Food, Good Life’ company also walked away with the Customer / Consumer Relations Award, Top 10 Best Corporate Citizen’s Award and Best Presented Application Award.

The award for Best Corporate Citizen in the Manufacturing Sector was conferred on Nestlé in recognition of its sustainable business practices and overall contribution to the local community, environment and economy. The company won the Triple Bottom Line ( People) Award for its performance in the environmental, social, and financial areas, recognising in particular its efforts to enhance the lives of those it touched across its value chain - consumers, customers, suppliers, farmers and employees. The Customer / Consumer Relations Award recognised Nestlé’s solid “inbuilt processes which enables the company to “live and practice” sustainability with the consumer at its core.”

The judges went on to say “The company has a mechanism where it has established global standards and best in class practices which is suitably modified and put into place for the benefit of local consumers. Sustainability is truly sustainable, when there are strong proactive systems in place, which is what Nestlé has demonstrated.”

From left to right: Damitha Kulatunga, Nestlé Senior Manager – Corporate Public Affairs; Neluka Wikramanayake, Nestlé Assistant Manager – Corporate Communications; Radhini DeCosta, Nestlé Assistant Vice President – Marketing Services; Ruwan Welikala, Nestlé Vice President – Ambient Dairy; Shivani Hegde, Nestlé Managing Director; Deepal Abeywickrema, Nestlé Senior Vice President – Sales; José Roldán, Nestlé Vice President – Supply Chain; Samantha Mendis, Nestlé Senior Manager – Corporate Communications; Shashiprabha Sooriarachchi, Nestlé Head of Regulatory Affairs and  Rohit Mittal, Nestlé Senior Vice President – Technical 

Said Shivani Hegde, Nestlé Managing Director: “At Nestlé, our purpose is to enhance quality of life and contribute to a healthier future. This purpose articulates why we exist, what motivates us and the positive impact we want to have on the world. It gives meaning to what we do. How we live our purpose every day is what has been recognised with these awards - the systems, processes and solid values we have lived by as a company for more than 150 years, and which hold true even today. The awards are a validation of our commitment to enhance quality of life for our consumers, suppliers, employees and community at large. We’re proud to be recognised as a good corporate citizen in Sri Lanka and look forward to continuing to make a meaningful contribution towards a healthier future across the value chain; for individuals, communities and for the planet.”

As Sri Lanka’s largest private sector collector of fresh milk and one of the world’s largest exporters of coconut milk powder, Nestlé’s business positively impacts the livelihoods of over 20,000 local farming families. It is continuing to work with Sri Lankan dairy farmers, training and supporting them to produce more milk of high quality and help make the country self-sufficient in milk. Last year, the company launched the Nestlé Coconut Plan to help secure coconut cultivation and sustain the livelihoods of local coconut farmers. The company also initiated a significant investment of Rs. 5 billion in its factory early this year to enhance manufacturing capacity for milk powder and coconut milk powder, thereby driving import substitution and increasing exports. 

Driven by its Purpose of contributing to a healthier future, Nestlé is committed to offering tastier, healthier and trusted products of the highest quality. The company is working to ensure its products offer the most superior nutritional profile in their respective categories. With the largest R&D network of any food company in the world, Nestlé regularly innovates and renovates its portfolio to offer food and beverage products that are adapted to local palates and nutritional needs. It is voluntarily reducing sugar, salt and fat in its products where relevant, and fortifying its products with essential micronutrients like iron, vitamin A and calcium where appropriate. In 2016, it offered its consumers 515 million servings of micronutrient fortified products.

Awards won by Nestlé at ‘Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Award 2017’

The company is also committed to manufacturing responsibly and sustainably by following the three Rs approach - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Over the last decade or so, Nestlé has reduced its energy consumption by 42%, water consumption by 39% and greenhouse gas emissions by 39%, whilst continuing to scale up production.   

In 2016, the company celebrated its 110th anniversary in Sri Lanka and 150th one worldwide.

The Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Awards are widely considered Sri Lanka’s highest corporate honour. Organised by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce every year, the event recognises the best contributors to the local economy and community as well the best performers in corporate sustainability. Submissions are evaluated by a highly respected panel of local experts and thought leaders, as well as representatives from international non-profit organisations such as UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), USAID (United States Agency for International Development) and IFC (International Finance Corporation).

Nestlé has won the Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Award twice before, in 2008 and 2011, and has been previously ranked in the Top Ten Best Corporate Citizens list in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011.