Hambantota Port holds Carbon Neutral Awareness Week

HIP team at Green 2024 launch

With the final objective of becoming carbon neutral, the Hambantota International Port (HIP) has set aside a week to create awareness amongst the port employees on their three sustainability goals, climate action, life below water and life on land. 
Launched last year as an annual event of the port, this year, the initiative will see the establishment of a green zone that’s divided into two phases i.e. reforestation and afforestation of land.  

CMG Chief Representative and Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) CEO Johnson Liu said, “In a modern world, sustainability is paramount to the success of any commercial enterprise. At the HIP, we firmly believe that environmental conservation and commercial development must go hand in hand.” 

The afforestation of the port’s reclaimed land and reforestation, marks a significant milestone in the HIP’s journey towards minimising its carbon footprint. The initiatives, that would materialise over the next three to five years, aligns seamlessly with the port’s overarching vision of fostering environmental stewardship along with robust commercial infrastructure development. 
“While the planting of trees particularly within the port area and on breakwaters, has a positive impact on the environment, there is the aesthetic factor which one has to take into account, especially considering the HIP’s development as a cruise ship port, which means we are well connected to tourism in the south of the island. We have already got a number of endorsements and accolades from visiting crews and passengers, who praise the port for its pristineness and foliage cover in and around,” the CEO adds.

The recently concluded Green Week 2024, which has now become a fixed event in the HIP’s annual calendar, serves as a platform to reflect on the port’s achievements, evaluate the ongoing projects and chart a course for future endeavours in carbon offsetting and environmental preservation. 
“Since January 2018, the HIP has planted a total of 13,371 trees and plants across its premises and neighbouring communities as part of its Green Port initiative,” Senior General Manager Human Resources and Administration Jeevan Premasara remarked.