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Greetings, Ayubowan, Vanakkam, Assalamuwaleikum. Good morning to the Hon. Mayor Buddhika Jayawilal - Kaduwela Municipal Council, Mr Abeyaratne, Deputy Mayor - Kaduwela Municipal Council, Mr. Sepala, Chairman - Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority, Mr Wickramasinghe, Deputy DG - Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority, Biogas plant management and employees, Commissioners, council members and other officials of the Kaduwela Municipal Council and Community members.

Good decision-making on how we manage the waste we create is one of the most important contributions people can make to reducing their impact on nature.

Science demonstrates that we are living unsustainably. The global population, currently at 7.3 billion, will grow in decades to 9 billion and perhaps 11 billion by end of the 21st century. (If we change our habits if the planet survives). Of the 9 billion people, 3 billion will belong to the middle class, with sufficient disposable income to purchase consumer goods that others enjoy elsewhere in the world, further draining the planet’s already strained natural resources. Consumption and production are excessive, and out of balance, so we need to find ways to manage.

Some startling statistics:

• According to FAO data, one-third of all food produced globally is wasted. Food waste accounts for 8% of global humans’ greenhouse gas emissions.

• Digital economy bring progress, but also problems. There is large and growing electronic waste. In 2019, 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste globally. Just 17% of e-waste was recycled which means 83% impacts adversely on the environment and people’s health.

• Because of COVID-19, medical waste has increased by 40%, despite a reduction in industrial and commercial waste production due to a slowdown in manufacturing activity. Hazardous waste production has grown with higher production from the pharmaceutical and medical sectors. Municipal waste is overwhelming existing waste collection and disposal systems.

Yet, there is hope. According to the recently launched UNDP Human Development Report 2020, in addition to reducing energy and material consumption, we can open up a space for human flourishing—within planetary boundaries —by changing our dominant source of energy and learning to recycle all the materials we need.

I understand that the Municipal Waste to Energy System at Kaduwela is the largest in Sri Lanka. And, amongst the benefits, I understand it will provide considerable cost-savings to the council on transportation of waste to landfills and generates additional income through the sale of liquid organic fertiliser and export of electricity to the national grid. So, yes, effective green solutions can advance Sustainable Development.

Does it offer a ‘blueprint’ for future practices in sustainable waste management and energy development? Maybe, but no matter what, it’s a very good start and other municipalities can learn from this.

We appreciate KMC’s CLEAN UP Mobile App, done with its own resources. These are ways to change people’s behaviour and make it easier to better manage waste within the municipality. It’s great for users to know the real-time arrival time of the collection trucks, send notifications from KMC to citizens and have a place to file complaints. Integration of digital technology-led innovative solutions to reinforce sustainable practices among the general public is admirable.

UNDP looks forward to continuing collaborating with the Kaduwela Municipal Council to pilot solutions for Chemical and Healthcare Waste disposal. With the fullest support of the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority, we will work to scale up and promote the facilitation of multiple sustainable energy options to be connected to the national grid, throughout the country.

Proper waste management is good for households, the community, the country, and the planet. A circular economy development model can help: first, reducing waste generation, but second, if there is waste, then treating it as a resource. Holistic and integrated sustainable waste management will be crucial.

UNDP Sri Lanka is committed to Sri Lanka’s ‘green development’. Sustainable waste management is part of it. On behalf of UNDP,  I am appreciative of this partnership and congratulate the Mayor, Commissioner and staff for their dedication towards realising the BioGas plant.

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