Governance structure vital for ‘green economy’ - Environment Minister

The initiative taken by the Government to establish a National Sustainable Development Council under the Haritha Lanka Program goes hand-in- hand with the governance structure necessary to integrate ‘green economy’ into the existing development processes at national level, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said.

The Minister was addressing the 25th session of the UNEP Governing Council Global Ministerial Environment Forum held in Nairobi recently.

Minister Ranawaka, emphasised the need to take a coherent and holistic approach globally to address the present financial, economic and environmental crises and proposed three specific measures to be considered by the global Ministers to strengthen the “Global Green New Deal”.

The Minister pointed out the need of a global policy and global governing principles to distribute the world resources and to determinethe extent of exploitation of the world ecosystem within its carrying capacity. Each individual should have his or her own right for a decent life and no one should be permitted to over exploit the share of resources that belong to the other, he said.

Eradication of extreme affluence and over consumption should have a similar priority in the global sustainable development agendas, the Minister said.

Minister emphasised the need to focus on short term solutions together with long-term solutions following circular economic systems where outputs would become inputs. The systems should be of small scale and less sophisticated facilitating majority of the communities to join in the economic growth of the economy efficiently and effectively.

His perception of “Small is not only beautiful but also practical and sustainable” was well recognised by many delegates.

The forum felt that Ministers of Environment must be ministers for sustained economic success, leading towards a “green economy” coping with multiple challenges and capturing the opportunities.

The current economic crises, in the context of climate change and the energy, water and food crises, provides a unique opportunity for a fundamental restricting of economies that encourage and sustain green energy, green growth, and green jobs.