Commercial Bank of Ceylon has strengthened its long-term sustainability agenda by hosting ForwardTogether 2026: Partnering for a Sustainable Corporate Future, a focused customer engagement aimed at translating sustainability dialogue into practical business action.
Held at the Lotus Ballroom of the Shangri-La Colombo, the event brought together a select group of Corporate and Personal Banking customers, senior bank officials and sustainability specialists from the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The forum builds on the momentum of the Bank’s landmark national Sustainability Summit and forms part of its wider ForwardTogether platform, with an increased emphasis on customer partnership, capacity building and operational outcomes.
According to the Bank, ForwardTogether 2026 was conceived as a sub-initiative designed to bridge the gap between sustainability strategy and implementation between Summit editions. The session focused on how sustainability is reshaping business competitiveness, investment decisions and long-term resilience, while underscoring the growing importance of partnerships between financial institutions and their customers amid evolving regulatory, market and investor expectations.
A key highlight of the programme was a technical presentation by Ms. Quyen Thuc Nguyen, Senior Industry Specialist and Global Product Lead at IFC, titled Climate Change Risks and Green Investment Opportunities. Drawing on global experience, the presentation outlined how businesses can reduce climate-related risks, improve operational efficiency and unlock sustainable investment opportunities while strengthening long-term value creation.
The event also featured a panel discussion with Mr. Sanath Manatunge, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Commercial Bank; Professor Ajith De Alwis of the University of Moratuwa; and Ms. Nguyen of IFC. Moderated by Dr. Gayashika Fernando of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, the discussion explored the role of partnerships, innovation and responsible finance in accelerating sustainable corporate transformation in Sri Lanka, highlighting the need to move beyond strategy and measurement towards action and collaboration.
The ForwardTogether theme was introduced by Commercial Bank in 2025 as a collaborative national platform bringing together policymakers, business leaders, development partners and civil society around Sri Lanka’s sustainability and climate agenda. The Bank said ForwardTogether 2026 reflects its intention to sustain this collective commitment through continued engagement that deepens impact.
The initiative is closely aligned with Commercial Bank’s efforts to embed sustainability into its core business strategy. As outlined in its Annual Report, the Bank follows a structured three-pillar sustainability framework, with climate action identified as a central strategic priority. In this context, the Bank is developing a comprehensive Climate Transition Plan aligned with national climate ambitions and global best practices, recognising that its climate impact extends beyond its own operations to include emissions associated with its financing activities.
Through its strategic partnership with IFC as a knowledge partner, Commercial Bank has adopted the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF) methodology to assess financed emissions across its portfolios. The Bank said platforms such as ForwardTogether are designed to connect this analysis with customer-facing engagement, supporting clients to identify transition pathways, green opportunities and more sustainable business models.
Commercial Bank is Sri Lanka’s first bank to exceed a market capitalisation of US$ 1 billion and was the first local bank to be listed among the Top 1,000 Banks of the World. It has the highest capital base among Sri Lankan banks, is the largest private-sector lender and the country’s leading lender to SMEs. Ranked No. 1 in the Business Today Top 40, Commercial Bank is also Sri Lanka’s first 100 per cent carbon-neutral bank.
The Bank operates an island-wide network of branches and automated banking machines and has the widest international footprint among Sri Lankan banks, with operations in Bangladesh, the Maldives, Myanmar and a representative office at the Dubai International Financial Centre. Its fully owned subsidiaries, CBC Finance Ltd. and Commercial Insurance Brokers (Pvt) Ltd., provide a range of financial services through their own branch networks.
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