Environmental Foundation Limited was established in 1981 fulfilling a long felt need for an organisation to safeguard the environment. The idea was conceived by the group of friends who banded together to protest against the misuse and abuse of Sri Lanka’s natural resources and to fight to protect them through litigation. On August 3, 1981, EFL was incorporated under the Companies Act as a ‘not for profit’ company limited by guarantee with a share capital, in order that it may have a legal standing before the Courts of Law in Sri Lanka. On May 6, 1994, EFL was registered in Sri Lanka as a Non Governmental Organisation under the Department of Social Services.

From the time of its inception, EFL has been actively involved in protecting and conserving the environment and many individuals have given their valuable time and expertise to the organisation freely.

After seven years of volunteer work, hard labour and sweat, EFL received its first grant from the Environment Liaison Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. A grant from the Asia Foundation received in July 1988 enabled the Foundation to hire the services of a part time Administrator, who stayed with EFL until March 2006.

In 1984, EFL filed its first legal case in the Supreme Court against the Director General of Wildlife in the Gal Oya National Park encroachment case. This was followed by more than one hundred and forty cases filed over the years with significant victories as the Eppawala Phosphate Case, the Kandalama Hotel Case and Galle Face Green Case. EFL is also an intervenient party in the Maha Oya Sand Mining Case and in the Noise Pollution case, active in the Supreme Court at present.

An organisation that started small with only a few volunteers armed with nothing but motivation, dedication and determination, has today grown into an organisation that has not only managed to protect and conserve the environment through legal and scientific means, but has most importantly managed to influence policy making and foster good governance in the country.

In 1998, the Environmental Mediation Centre, the first of its kind in the country, commenced work assisting communities in dispute resolution thorough the provision of mediation. To date, the Science, Legal and Information Divisions, assisted by the Accounts and Administrative Divisions have supported many individuals and organisations alike to fight environmental degradation and protect and conserve Sri Lanka’s precious resources.

An organisation that started small with only a few volunteers armed with nothing but motivation, dedication and determination, has today grown into an organisation that has not only managed to protect and conserve the environment through legal and scientific means, but has most importantly managed to influence policy making and foster good governance in the country. The road to completing 28 years has not always been easy for EFL: there have been good times and bad times, times with funding and times without.

EFL has persevered, and stayed on course, winning both bouquets and brickbats for its work in environmental conservation. Today it has become the most important local environmental organisation that has not only litigated successfully but also lobbied for policy changes in environmental matters. EFL reiterates the need to protect and conserve the environment and wants you to become a ‘catalyst for change’ in environmental matters.