Commercial Bank reaffirms environmental commitment with nationwide coastal and aquatic cleanup drive
The Commercial Bank of Ceylon brought together its island-wide network of employees, customers, volunteers, partners and other stakeholders for a coordinated national coastal and aquatic conservation initiative on 19 September, marking International Coastal Cleanup Day with activities across 20 locations nationwide.
Conducted under the Bank’s sustainability platform and its theme – ‘Forward Together for a Cleaner Future’ – the initiative extended well beyond a conventional beach cleanup. It encompassed conservation activities at 16 coastal locations and four inland waterways, enabling communities across the country to participate in a single, nationally coordinated environmental effort.
The flagship Colombo programme comprised activities at three prominent locations, Mount Lavinia Beach, where the main inauguration was held, as well as Wellawatte Beach and Galle Face Beach. At the same time, the Bank’s Regional Offices conducted conservation activities at selected beaches and inland aquatic environments across the island.
The scale of the initiative was matched by the breadth of stakeholder participation. Commercial Bank employees, corporate management, regional offices and branches, Future Force volunteers, customers, family members and other volunteers participated alongside the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA), the initiative’s Technical Partner, the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) Network Sri Lanka, relevant government and local authorities, environmental organisations and community members.
The 20 locations were selected based on factors including environmental significance, accessibility, community participation, safety and partnership opportunities, the Bank said. Regional activities included locations such as Calido Beach Kalutara, Akurala Beach, Kammal Moya Beach Park – Negombo, Trinco beach - Dockyard Road, Kallady beach – Batticaloa, Puttalam lagoon, Kubichchamkulama Wewa, Parakrama Samudraya, Point Pedro beach and Lighthouse area, Pannai (Jaffna), Lighthouse beach Galle Fort, Dondra beach in front of Ruhuna University, Tangalle - Oruwella beach, Chilaw beach in front of the Rest House, Bopath Falls, and the Mahaweli River – Polgolla Dam area.
The initiative represented a tangible expression of Commercial Bank’s commitment to responsible water stewardship. In 2025, the Bank formally adopted SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation as a priority Sustainable Development Goal, strengthening its focus on the responsible stewardship of water resources and protection of aquatic ecosystems. It was also the Bank's Patron Lead Initiative under the Water & Ocean Stewardship Working Group of the UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka, of which Commercial Bank is the Patron.
The drive provided a practical platform for the Bank to translate these commitments into action, while strengthening collaboration among business, Government, development, academic, environmental and community stakeholders.
The programme also built on Commercial Bank’s continuing environmental initiatives, including its ‘Life to Our Beaches’ initiative, through which the Bank appointed a dedicated beach caretaker for Kalido Beach, Kalutara, and its ‘Life to Our Coral Reefs’ initiative supporting the restoration and conservation of the Kayankerni Reef. It also formed part of the Bank’s broader ForwardTogether 2026 sustainability platform and its continuing programme of environmental and community-focused activities led by branches, departments and volunteer teams.
Beyond the immediate environmental benefits of the activities, the programme sought to build wider public awareness of the importance of protecting Sri Lanka’s coastal and aquatic ecosystems and of adopting responsible environmental practices. By extending the initiative to inland aquatic environments as well as coastal areas, Commercial Bank also enabled regions without direct access to the coast to contribute to the national effort. The result was a coordinated island-wide activation that demonstrated how a nationwide banking network could be harnessed to create visible environmental impact through collaboration and volunteerism.
Commercial Bank was the first Sri Lankan bank to achieve a market capitalisation exceeding US$ 1 billion. The Bank emerged as the No. 1 ranked Sri Lankan bank in the 2026 edition of the prestigious Top 1000 World Banks ranking published by The Banker magazine, UK. The Bank has the highest capital base among all Sri Lankan banks, and is one of the largest private sector lenders in Sri Lanka. Ranked No. 1 in the Business Today Top 40, Commercial Bank is recognised as the most respected and most-awarded bank in Sri Lanka, is a leader in digital innovation and is the country’s first 100% carbon-neutral bank.
Commercial Bank operates more than 270 strategically-located branches and an extensive network of automated machines island-wide, and has the widest international footprint among Sri Lankan banks, with 21 branches in Bangladesh, a majority stake in a fully-fledged Tier I Bank in the Maldives, a microfinance company in Myanmar, and a representative office in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The Bank’s fully-owned subsidiaries, CBC Finance PLC and Commercial Insurance Brokers (Pvt) Limited, also deliver a range of financial services via their own branch networks.
Photo caption:
Mr Sanath Manatunge, Managing Director/CEO of Commercial Bank and some of the Bank's staff participating in the coastal cleanup programme.