Nayanee Silva
About
My research project
Materials management, Sustainabililty Strategies and Corporate Social Responsibility in the Private Sector
The purpose of my research is to investigate sustainability performance and management, with related themes in private sector companies. The analysis will include comparisons of firms in a developed economy (the UK) and in a developing economy (Sri Lanka). The study includes case studies of large companies in the tea sector with deeper insights into sustainability management, Triple Bottom Line Performance, CSR and employee engagement.
A new model has been developed for sustainability performance including economic, environmental and social impacts for the organisations taking part, which includes seven areas of measurement. The study will apply this model to measure financial sustainability, carbon emissions, materials management , energy consumption, waste, circular economy approaches and governance. CSR strategy, employee well-being and community engagement will also be considered for the participating organisations. The results will provide a practical framework that can assess the impact of production activities, improve knowledge of sustainability towards making potential savings, share best practice for implementing sustainability into profitable product strategy, considering social impacts alongside actions towards decarbonisation. It will also help compare the sustainability performance of organisations within sectors and within a national context.
The study will include a large number of SMEs and listed companies, measuring a range of indicators to create a sustainability dashboard that can be applied in a practial context for sustainbility planning and goal setting towards net zero targets and responsible business.
The outputs from this empirical research study are expected to provide a range of insights and a practical framework towards organisational sustainability and sustainable materials management, that can be practically applied by companies across several industry sectors. The participating comapnies will be provided with insights and analyses to help with sustainability planning and business strategy including insights into employee engagement and wellbeing.
Supervisors
The purpose of my research is to investigate sustainability performance and management, with related themes in private sector companies. The analysis will include comparisons of firms in a developed economy (the UK) and in a developing economy (Sri Lanka). The study includes case studies of large companies in the tea sector with deeper insights into sustainability management, Triple Bottom Line Performance, CSR and employee engagement.
A new model has been developed for sustainability performance including economic, environmental and social impacts for the organisations taking part, which includes seven areas of measurement. The study will apply this model to measure financial sustainability, carbon emissions, materials management , energy consumption, waste, circular economy approaches and governance. CSR strategy, employee well-being and community engagement will also be considered for the participating organisations. The results will provide a practical framework that can assess the impact of production activities, improve knowledge of sustainability towards making potential savings, share best practice for implementing sustainability into profitable product strategy, considering social impacts alongside actions towards decarbonisation. It will also help compare the sustainability performance of organisations within sectors and within a national context.
The study will include a large number of SMEs and listed companies, measuring a range of indicators to create a sustainability dashboard that can be applied in a practial context for sustainbility planning and goal setting towards net zero targets and responsible business.
The outputs from this empirical research study are expected to provide a range of insights and a practical framework towards organisational sustainability and sustainable materials management, that can be practically applied by companies across several industry sectors. The participating comapnies will be provided with insights and analyses to help with sustainability planning and business strategy including insights into employee engagement and wellbeing.
Affiliations and memberships
Biography
Nayanee Silva is a business professional with over 25 years of finance, management and consulting experience. Following a corporate career in the consulting and finance sector, she has provided mentoring, education and business consulting services through her own consultancy. She is a certified finance professional and business mentor. She is also the Founder President of The Aspire Community Foundation, a non-profit foundation working with other NGOs to support community projects in welfare, education, vocational training and sustainable development projects in Sri Lanka.
Nayanee is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW), the Chartered Institute of Management (FCMI) and the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). She also has membership of the IoD, IEMA and Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (ICRS). She is a member of the UK Energy Research Council (UKERC) through their Whole Systems Networking Fund and the Zero Emissions Enterprise (ZEE) Network of researchers working on the theme of decarbonisation of SMEs.
Nayanee's research interests include sustainability in organisations, materials management, sustainable development, Corporate Social Responsibility, Life Cycle Assessment, renewable energy technologies and approaches to decarbonisation/ net-zero.
ResearchResearch interests
- Materials Management
- Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Engagement
- Circular Economy
- Life Cycle Analysis for organisations
- Net Zero Transition
- Sustainability and decarbonisation challenges for SMEs
- Sustainability strategy in the corporate sector
- Industrial ecology
- Renewable Energy Technologies
- Carbon Emissions measurement and strategy
- SDGs measurement framework
- Sustainable development - impacts of interventions through microfinance, training and education to empower rural and disadvantaged communities
- Member of UKERC for Whole Systems Networking Fund (Surrey project)
- Zero Emissions Enterprise (ZEE) - a group of researchers working on decarbonisation in SMEs
Research projects
A UKERC Whole Systems Networking Fund (WSNF) project. Energy modelling plays a vital role in the transition to a net zero economy and contributes to energy security, with models underpinning decision-making across policy, industry and civil society.
However, the energy sector remains one of the least gender diverse and women are significantly underrepresented in the energy modelling research area. Therefore, it is essential to build a network with multiple resources to encourage women from different disciplines and sectors to join energy modelling research and application.
This project will open doors for women throughout the energy community, including academic researchers, companies along the energy supply chain, policymakers in both central and local government, NGOs and practitioners.
The anticipated outputs include:
- A social media group for connection building and future discussion among the peer community.
- An online platform with open learning resources (e.g. reports, publications, presentations) on multiple energy models and fundamental trainings to get started.
- A series of events with bespoke mentorship from professional energy modelling practitioners and a long-term mentorship scheme beyond the lifetime of this project.
Energy modelling plays a vital role in the transition to a net zero economy and contributes to energy security, with models underpinning decision making across policy, industry and civil society. The project is funded by the UK Energy Research Council's Whole Systems Networking Fund.
However, the energy sector remains one of the least gender diverse and women are significantly underrepresented in the energy modelling research area.
This project will open doors for women throughout the energy community, including academic researchers, companies along the energy supply chain, policymakers in both central and local government, NGOs and practitioners.
The methodology will include:
- Build a network of women in energy modelling from different disciplines (e.g. social sciences, engineering and economics) and sectors (e.g. local authorities, industry and NGOs).
- Establish a platform with open learning resources to provide a quick and fun way to become familiar with energy modelling and to enable discussion among a peer community.
- Host a series of events with hands-on learning, mentorship by energy modelling practitioners and a supportive peer community to enable more women to use energy models to solve practical problems.
Research collaborations
Zero Emissions Enterprise (ZEE) - a group of 60+ researchers from University of Oxford, Open University and Sheffield Hallam working on the challenges of decarbonisation for SMEs.
Research interests
- Materials Management
- Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Engagement
- Circular Economy
- Life Cycle Analysis for organisations
- Net Zero Transition
- Sustainability and decarbonisation challenges for SMEs
- Sustainability strategy in the corporate sector
- Industrial ecology
- Renewable Energy Technologies
- Carbon Emissions measurement and strategy
- SDGs measurement framework
- Sustainable development - impacts of interventions through microfinance, training and education to empower rural and disadvantaged communities
- Member of UKERC for Whole Systems Networking Fund (Surrey project)
- Zero Emissions Enterprise (ZEE) - a group of researchers working on decarbonisation in SMEs
Research projects
A UKERC Whole Systems Networking Fund (WSNF) project. Energy modelling plays a vital role in the transition to a net zero economy and contributes to energy security, with models underpinning decision-making across policy, industry and civil society.
However, the energy sector remains one of the least gender diverse and women are significantly underrepresented in the energy modelling research area. Therefore, it is essential to build a network with multiple resources to encourage women from different disciplines and sectors to join energy modelling research and application.
This project will open doors for women throughout the energy community, including academic researchers, companies along the energy supply chain, policymakers in both central and local government, NGOs and practitioners.
The anticipated outputs include:
- A social media group for connection building and future discussion among the peer community.
- An online platform with open learning resources (e.g. reports, publications, presentations) on multiple energy models and fundamental trainings to get started.
- A series of events with bespoke mentorship from professional energy modelling practitioners and a long-term mentorship scheme beyond the lifetime of this project.
Energy modelling plays a vital role in the transition to a net zero economy and contributes to energy security, with models underpinning decision making across policy, industry and civil society. The project is funded by the UK Energy Research Council's Whole Systems Networking Fund.
However, the energy sector remains one of the least gender diverse and women are significantly underrepresented in the energy modelling research area.
This project will open doors for women throughout the energy community, including academic researchers, companies along the energy supply chain, policymakers in both central and local government, NGOs and practitioners.
The methodology will include:
- Build a network of women in energy modelling from different disciplines (e.g. social sciences, engineering and economics) and sectors (e.g. local authorities, industry and NGOs).
- Establish a platform with open learning resources to provide a quick and fun way to become familiar with energy modelling and to enable discussion among a peer community.
- Host a series of events with hands-on learning, mentorship by energy modelling practitioners and a supportive peer community to enable more women to use energy models to solve practical problems.
Research collaborations
Zero Emissions Enterprise (ZEE) - a group of 60+ researchers from University of Oxford, Open University and Sheffield Hallam working on the challenges of decarbonisation for SMEs.