“SL must reduce greenhouse emission from key sectors by 14.5%”
“Sri Lanka loses several hundred million US dollars annually to extreme weather patterns and the World Bank predicts 1.2% annual GDP loss for Sri Lanka by 2050 because of climate change. So it is imperative that in order for Sri Lanka to achieve the best socio economic outcome we must first become climate resilient,” said Senior Advisor to the President on Climate Change, Ruwan Wijewardene.
He further said that Sri Lanka has to reduce its greenhouse emission from key sectors by 14.5% and increase forest cover by 32% by 2030. “We have to achieve 70% renewable energy in electricity generation by 2030 and to cease building coal-fired power plants. Sri Lanka needs to make carbon neutrality by 2050.”
He revealed at an event held at BMICH on the theme “Uniting for a greener world; the role of international cooperation in protecting the environment conducted by the Geopolitical Cartographer of Sri Lanka where President Ranil Wickramasinghe was the Chief Guest.
Sri Lanka will become the first country in the region to adopt a green economy, as the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Power and Energy, and the Climate Change Office work together to introduce a green economic policy focused on renewable energy within the next two months said Former Norwegian peace envoy and advisor to President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Climate Change Erik Solheim.
“The two biggest developing countries China and India are now the two leaders of the Green Revolution and both China and India are doing this because it’s good for the environment, good for people’s health, and also good for the economy,” said Solheim. China is leading the search into their green future. Today 82% of all solar panels in the world are made in China and 70% of all electric batteries last year remained in China .In addition 80% of all new hydropower in the world last year was generated in China.” “In India, Prime Minister Modi is launching green initiatives in Delhi.”
Further speaking he pointed out that “Sri Lanka, has a fantastic potential for renewable, for wind power at land and sea. There is a good potential for solar as for many rivers. It can bring storage and it can be a habitat for green hydrogen”.
Finally Solheim emphasized that going green is the only enormous future opportunity, exactly the vision of President Ranil Wickremesinghe and he really wants to take Sri Lanka out of the crisis, but in a green space”.