Shiranee Yasaratne
Ms. Shiranee E. Yasaratne has demonstrated success in promoting environmental and social sustainability in the business sector, with a particular focus on sustainable consumption and production, strategic and environmental impact assessment and integrating biodiversity considerations into corporate practices of businesses at the local, national, and multinational levels. She possesses a rare mix of working in international, public sector and nonprofit organizations.
She has leadership and management experience as Deputy Director General of the Central Environmental Authority of the Government of Sri Lanka, Country Representative of IUCN Sri Lanka and Head of the Regional Business and Biodiversity Programme of IUCN Asia, Bangkok, Thailand. During a career spanning thirty-five years, Ms. Yasaratne has provided vision and strategic leadership in developing the Business and Biodiversity Programme for IUCN Asia, worked with multi-disciplinary project teams focused on evaluating environmental impacts of large scale development projects at international, national and SME levels and establishing and enforcing legal regimes for supporting the sustainable use and conservation of natural resources.
She currently serves as a Director of Sustainability Agenda (Pvt.) Ltd., which is focused on enhancing sustainability practices and biodiversity conservation within the corporate sector. She also functions as Senior Advisor to Biodiversity Sri Lanka and to the Conservation arm of the Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company, Dilmah Conservation. She has extensive knowledge of environment and development issues in Asia, with a special interest in South and Southeast Asia, and university and other teaching experience in natural resource management, SEA and EIA with significant contributions to environmental policy reform in Sri Lanka and around Asia. Ms Yasaratne took an active role in founding the Sri Lanka Business and Biodiversity Platform (Biodiversity Sri Lanka) and similar platforms in Pakistan and Vietnam. She is a Chartered Environmental Professional (CEnvP), President Elect of the Institute of Environmental Professionals (2021-22) and the Winner of the Zonta Woman of Achievement, Environment Award in 2006.
