L– R: Samantha Kumarasena, Chief Executive Officer, National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC) Sri Lanka, Chandra Wickramasinghe, Chairman/MD, Thema Collection, and Maryam Piracha, Country Director, MDF Sri Lanka.
Thema Collection, an eco-conscious hospitality group in Sri Lanka, has partnered with Australia’s Market Development Facility (MDF) to carry out a pioneering sustainability initiative. This project quantifies the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from its properties and is the first comprehensive GHG assessment conducted for an entire hospitality chain in Sri Lanka.
A third-party verification by the National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC), Sri Lanka confirmed compliance with ISO 17029:2019, ISO 14064-3:2019, and ISO 14064-1:2018 standards. This process improved data accuracy, identified key improvement areas, and laid a strong foundation for future GHG assessments and emission reduction strategies.
“Our partnership with MDF enabled us to take a critical step forward in our sustainability journey. By quantifying our GHG emissions, we now have the data and direction needed to reduce our climate impact and foster a low-carbon tourism model,” said Chandra Wickramasinghe, Chairman/MD, Thema Collection.
Maryam Piracha, Country Director, MDF Sri Lanka, said, “We are proud to support Thema Collection’s leadership in driving sustainable tourism. By undertaking a full, third-party verified GHG assessment across its properties, Thema has set a new industry standard for transparency and action. This initiative exemplifies how data-driven approaches can help businesses become more resilient, competitive, and aligned with global sustainability demands—core priorities for MDF’s work fostering inclusive, climate-conscious economic growth.”
Samantha Kumarasena, CEO, National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC), Sri Lanka, stated, “Collaborating with Thema Collection to verify GHG emissions for their hotels was a pleasure. Their outstanding commitment to undergoing third-party GHG verification and adopting global climate accountability standards is a positive step for Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, helping align it with international climate commitments and best practices for low-carbon operations.”
The project aimed to foster meaningful transformation by raising awareness of environmental impacts among stakeholders and promoting shared responsibility. It built internal capacity by educating staff on sustainability principles and GHG quantification. Emphasizing youth development, it provided hands-on training to prepare a team for independent GHG assessments. Additionally, the project encouraged transparency by sharing best practices and success stories to inspire broader industry adoption of data-driven, climate-conscious strategies.
Samantha Kumarasena, CEO, National Cleaner Production Centre, Sri Lanka presenting the award to Chandra Wickramasinghe, Chairman/MD, Thema Collection in the presence of Maryam Piracha, Country Director, MDF Sri Lanka and other staff at Thema collection.
