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Hon. Secretaries of the Ministries of Environment, Land, and Wildlife & Forest Conservation, Fellow partner representatives, Friends from the media, Colleagues.

Greetings, Ayubowan, Vanakkam, Assalamu Aleikum. A very good morning to you all.

A Paradigm Shift Towards a Greener Economy, Environment & Society

It is a well-known fact that Sri Lanka is home to rich biodiversity, and has one of the highest rates of biological endemism, in the region i.e. meaning species uniquely native to Sri Lanka.

Around the world, economies and the key sectors of the economy like agriculture, fisheries, tourism depend on biodiversity and ecosystem services to be productive. If one includes environmental resources and eco-systems in national planning and GDP calculations, loss of such biodiversity and ecosystem services through environmental degradation would also mean losses to a nation’s GDP, having also negative effects on population health and food security.

Ecosystems and their biodiversity also play a key role in reducing greenhouse gases. They also assist communities and nations adapt to climate change. Healthy, biodiverse eco-systems play a fundamental role in determining quality economic outputs and human well-being.

As in the world, also these truisms apply to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is a biodiversity hotspot, which means we’re rich with life but also are at high risk for destruction and face myriad conservation crises.

Recovery from COVID-19 gives Sri Lanka and all countries an opportunity to rethink development strategies.;

a chance to change growth trajectories towards green societies and green economies,

and therefore a chance to balance between human needs, economic benefits, and the limits of the planet and our natural environment. Rethinking development to ensure green recovery was a key recommendation—indeed driver towards a better future--in the UN Sri Lanka’s July 2020 Advisory Paper to the Gov’t of Sri Lanka on Socio-Economic Response and Recovery to Covid-19

What does this mean in practice?

It means, for example, designing nature-based solutions which can create an expanded notion of ‘social safety nets’ – what’s an example? A healthy mountainside with trees will reduce the chances of landslides and injury to HHs and loss of assets.

It means encouraging sustainable public-private partnerships at national and community levels.

It means ensuring integrated thinking and action for the well-being of people.

ESA Policy

The ESA Policy being presented today facilitates all that. The Policy will support a balanced, inclusive green development with green jobs, products and services.

The ESA policy aims to ensure that communities develop economically without compromising environmental conservation.

The Policy can help drive forward a much larger innovative national green development pathway; if and only if the focus on the economy, investment, capital and infrastructure, employment and skills ensures at the same time a focus on positive social and environmental outcomes

UNDP’s Partnership with the GoSL for Green Development

Within UNDP’s global network to support the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UNDP’s work here in Sri Lanka too, contributes in an integrated fashion towards achieving SDGs. Restoring ecosystems and protecting life on land (SDG15) and life below water (SDG14), ensuring quality climate action (SDG13) and increasing clean and renewable energy in the national and sub-national energy mix (SDG 7), eliminating poverty (SDG 1), increasing food security (SDG 2) and improving health and well-being (SDG 3). UNDP’s mandate is to demonstrate and help countries put into practice how the interconnections between SDG goals can accelerate sustainable development in Sri Lanka.

Examples that UNDP is currently taking to facilitate green development. Three steps:

In terms of ESA Policy, UNDP has supported the GoSL through the Ministry of Environment, in particular, to pilot test the Environmentally Sensitive Areas concept and to develop the National Policy for Conserving and managing Environmentally Sensitive Areas in Sri Lanka.

Secondly, at present, UNDP support is being extended to the Ministry to develop the National Environment Action Plan: NEAP (2021-2030). UNDP continues to support implementation across major thematic areas that would contribute to ecosystem restoration for terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems in Sri Lanka.

These are an important contribution now, during the first year of the launch of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (UNDER), a global call to action at a time where COVID-19 has made people, the world over, experience the fragility of life on earth.

Third, taking a step beyond the pilot testing and policy development, UNDP has also supported the Ministry of Environment to identify all the Environmentally Sensitive Areas which lie Outside of Protected Areas in Sri Lanka and established an enabling framework to sustainably manage these vital ecosystems, a first for the country. 

Sri Lanka’s commitment to Green Development is highlighted in the government’s National Policy Framework Vistas of Prosperity and Splendor. Its commitment is further reinforced by the establishment of a 46-member presidential task force "to transform Sri Lanka’s economy into green socio-economy".

UNDP is currently prioritizing its own support to national efforts on Green Development working closely with many national partners, including the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Power and Sustainable Development Council but not limited to these.  UNDP has helped GoSL to address climate change by updating its plans, which are known as SL’s Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs.

At the request of GoSL, UNDP is facilitating to bring relevant partners and strands of thinking together under a common umbrella, onto a common stage, to enable the pursuit of economic growth and social benefits in balance with the planet. Doing so by working closely with a multitude of government agencies, development partners and civil society actors, and very importantly private sector to support and encourage stewardship and innovation in green growth.

Taking note of your leadership of the Presidential Taskforce, Dr Jasinghe, I and the team at UNDP look forward to working with you under that leadership to actively engage the members of PTF and of course your ministry in our joint efforts to support this agenda through UNDP’s Colombo Development Dialogues on Green Development.

These are all key parts of UNDP’s strategy towards transforming our world in line with Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development-a integrated plan of action for people, planet and prosperity.

In closing, let me take this opportunity to also thank our partners involved in this initiative—the continuous efforts from all stakeholders involved.

Particularly the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Conservation, Ministry of Land, various government departments at national district and divisional level, academic experts and communities from across the country.

The choices we make at this juncture as we’re recovering from the COVID-19 hit economic downturn, and in the wake of time-critical climate findings will determine policies for the next decade and the future of our planet.

The Government of Sri Lanka’s commitment to developing and operationalizing the National ESA Policy is evidence of the kind of choices we should be making as we make our way towards Green Development.

UNDP is a core partner to the Government of Sri Lanka in its commitments to build forward better after COVID-19 and encourage a generation that can make peace with nature, for a more sustainable future.