At D. L. & F. De Saram, we advise companies, investors, lenders and project sponsors on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues that increasingly shape how businesses are run, financed and valued. Expectations from investors, lenders, regulators, customers and employees continue to grow, and ESG considerations now feature in boardroom decisions, transactions and financing arrangements in Sri Lanka.
Our ESG work draws on the firm’s experience in corporate governance, environmental law, labour and employment, finance and transactions. We help clients understand which ESG requirements and standards are relevant to them, identify legal risk, and put in place frameworks that are proportionate to their size and sector.
Our approach is practical. Rather than applying generic checklists, we look at the risks and opportunities that matter most to each client’s business, its stakeholders and its sources of finance, and we help clients respond in a way that is credible and achievable.
Our Expertise in ESG
Our ESG advisory work includes:
- Designing and reviewing ESG governance frameworks, policies and board oversight structures
- Sustainability disclosure and reporting, including the legal aspects of reporting by listed companies and reporting against international frameworks
- ESG due diligence in mergers, acquisitions and investments
- ESG terms in financing transactions, including green, social and sustainability-linked finance
- Environmental and social risk in energy, infrastructure and other projects, including environmental approvals and lender standards
- Environmental compliance, including pollution control, waste management and environmental licensing
- Supply chain due diligence, responsible sourcing and labour standards
- Workplace health and safety, equality and human rights policies
- Anti-bribery, anti-corruption and ethics programmes
- Board advisory, including directors’ duties in relation to ESG risks and briefings for boards and senior management
We help clients treat ESG as part of sound business management rather than as a separate compliance exercise. Well-designed ESG frameworks can reduce legal and reputational risk, support access to finance and investment, and strengthen relationships with customers, employees and communities.
ESG Across Our Practice Areas
ESG issues arise across many areas of legal work, and we bring them together with our other practices:
- Transactions: working with our Mergers & Acquisitions team, we identify ESG risks in due diligence and address them in transaction documents.
- Corporate governance: with our Corporate & Commercial Law practice, we help boards strengthen governance structures, policies and reporting lines.
- Projects: with our Energy & Infrastructure team, we advise on environmental and social approvals, community engagement and lender requirements for project development.
- Finance: with our Banking & Finance practice, we advise borrowers and lenders on green, social and sustainability-linked loans and bonds.
Through this integrated approach, clients receive advice that reflects both the legal framework and the commercial realities of their business. We also advise on the ESG implications of restructurings, workforce changes and entry into new markets.