HSBC employees champion climate change initiatives in Malaysia

Climate change has become a pressing issue that is threatening our planet and our very existence, placing a bleak vision of a future that could be destroyed, if nothing is done to preserve the environment.

Peter Wijesekera receives his certificate as a climate change champion from Chief Executive Officer, HSBC Sri Lanka and the Maldives Nick A Nicolaou.

Understanding the many challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, in 2007, HSBC launched the ground breaking five-year US$100 million HSBC climate partnership with four world-class environmental charities; The Climate Group, Earthwatch Institute, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and WWF to tackle the urgent threat of climate change.

Working with these partners and engaging its 335,000 employees, HSBC hopes to tackle climate change impacts on people, forests, water and cities.

In 2008, three employees from HSBC Sri Lanka namely Peter Wijesekera, Anoushka Miranda and Jayantha Wijesinghe spent two weeks in Danum Valley Field centre in Malaysia, undertaking research and learning about climate change.

This enabled them to work closely with a team from the Earthwatch Institute and be a part of the ongoing research programme that is supported by the Royal Society, UK.

Speaking on the outcome of the programme, Anoushka Miranda stated, "It was a great learning experience to understand the different cultural and social implications of climate change."