The Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Dr. Anil Jasinghe, announced that Sri Lanka has formally committed to providing the essential funding for President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s 2048 Green Economy Programme.
Dr. Anil Jasinghe said: “President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s proposal encompasses all aspects of formulating a National Climate Change Act. A committee has been tasked with crafting a new environmental act that aligns with the contemporary world’s priorities, with an emphasis on climate change. These initiatives are also integrated into the National Environmental Action Plan developed approximately two years ago. All these endeavours are intended to be executed in a legal, transparent and meticulously structured manner, ensuring maximum benefits with minimal drawbacks.”
He also noted that, due to the President’s advocacy in international conferences and meetings with world leaders, several nations have swiftly expressed their interest in these agreements, the President’s Media Division (PMD) reported. Furthermore, Dr. Anil Jasinghe underscored the significance of the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) which serves as a gateway for collaboration with the Japanese government and the private sector in green initiatives.
Dr. Anil Jasinghe shared these insights during his recent appearance on the 101 Katha programme, produced by the PMD. He elaborated on how Sri Lanka, under the President’s leadership, was able to establish agreements with Singapore, including the innovative concept of carbon credits, the PMD said in a statement.
He highlighted that the Sri Lankan government, in partnership with the international community, is actively taking measures to reduce the impact of climate change. These measures aim to provide relief to those affected by natural disasters, including farmers.
Moreover, he disclosed that, in line with President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s directives, cooperation with neighbouring countries is anticipated to secure the necessary funds for addressing climate change-related challenges like droughts and floods, it added.
Dr. Jasinghe further said:“For countries like Sri Lanka, the impact is disproportionately severe. While our contribution to fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions is minuscule on the international scale, environmental effects know no borders. If left unaddressed, projections indicate that certain areas of the Jaffna Peninsula may become submerged by 2090, with the intrusion of saltwater severely affecting agriculture.”
He stressed that Sri Lanka’s focus must centre on disaster mitigation, resilience-building in the face of calamities and disaster response strategies. Sri Lanka has the potential to pivot toward renewable energy sources such as solar, hydro and wind power, thus curbing greenhouse gas emissions. At a recent climate change conference in Egypt, President Ranil Wickremesinghe unveiled this strategy as the “Climate Prosperity Plan.” Dr. Jasinghe further explained that “Smaller nations, including our own, diligently lobbied powerful governments to make substantial financial contributions aimed at instigating transformative change in addressing climate change. President Ranil Wickremesinghe consistently championed this cause not only at this conference but also on various international platforms. After years of tireless efforts, a committee has been convened to present a report concerning the establishment of an international fund to address climate-related disasters at the United Arab Emirates Climate Change Conference scheduled for next December.”