Chalaka Fernando is an enthusiastic sustainability practitioner having 15 years work experience related to industrial environmental management, management systems, sustainable development and compliance. He holds BSc with Honors from University of Peradeniya Sri Lanka (2003) and MSc in Chemical & Process Engineering, from University of Moratuwa Sri Lanka specializing on LCA (2010). He has completed postgraduate certification courses in Japan, Hungary, Thailand & Denmark on sustainability, climate change and LCA.
During his corporate career, he served as the General Manager - Sustainability at MAS Fabrics Pvt Ltd, the largest textile & apparel supplier in Sri Lanka (2016-2018). He also worked for the world largest cement company LafargeHolcim for more than 10 years both in Sri Lankan and global in senior management level positions.There he held the Regional Sustainability and Compliance Coordinator (for alternative fuels, raw materials section) position for APAC, Middle-East and North African regions.
He enjoyed and invested a substantial time during his corporate life on simplifying the Quantitative Sustainability Assessment findings such as LCA findings for effective interpretation, adding consumer perspective to LCA studies and linking to business strategies are his interest co-elements in sustainability
Interpreting quantitative sustainability in the most digestive forms to stakeholders
Use life cycle assessment and sister methodologies to make better decision making in the industry, corporate and academia
End of Life (EoL) and Circular economy principles and their applications
Exploring the change of 'ownership to usership' mode and its co-impacts
Education
2018 Feb Advanced Professional Course on Sustainable Consumption & production, AIT, Thailand
2013 July Summer course - Central European University, Budapest & UNIDO: ‘Green Industry: Pathways Towards the Industry of the Future’ (UNIDO full scholar)
2013 June PhD Summer course – Danish Technical University, Copenhagen – Material flow Analysis for resources, LCA on Waste to Energy, use of EASETECH software in waste management projects (academic scholarship)
2010 Post graduate certificate course United Nations University, Tokyo, Japan: ‘Building Resilient for Climate Change’
2009-10 Diploma in Business management: t+b Solutions, Australia
2008-11 MSc (major component as research) - Chemical & Process Eng Dept, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka: ‘Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Analysis Towards a Sustainable Cement Industry for Sri Lanka: an Analysis of Three Process Pathways’
2000-2003 BSc (Hons) Second Class Upper Division – Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka: Chemistry, Environmental Science, Statistics, Economics & Management
Professional Chartered Environmental Professional (from 2014), Institute of Environmental Professionals Sri Lanka
ISO 14001 Lead auditor qualifications and auditor experience for more than 10 years
OHSAS 18001 Lead auditor, Holcim H&S Lead auditor (2013) and auditor experience for more than 8 years
Cleaner Production Lead auditor qualifications and auditor experience for more than 5 years
Qualified GHG Auditor on CDM Project Validation & Verification, DNV Malaysia, 2007
GRI based Sustainability Reporting training, TERE, India (September 2011)
Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS) – life time member
IEMA - UK Associate Member (from 2009)
