Minister Welgama at Conference in the Philippines:

Sri Lanka ready to face environmental challenges

Sri Lanka has already inclined on environmental friendly activities to face the environmental challenges in the future, Industrial Development Minister Kumara Welgama said at an international Conference held in the Philippines on ‘Green Industry in Asia’ on September 9.

Minister Welgama said from the time of the declaration on environment and development, Sri Lanka’s commitment for the cause of sustainable development has been unwavering.

The Sri Lankan Government has given the highest priority to develop the country on the true path of sustainability and therefore has established a National Council for sustainable development under President Mahinda Rajapaksa to ensure integration on environmental and social concerns for the economic development of the country.

In order to proceed along the path of sustainable economic and social development, the Government has introduced the Haritha Lanka Program (Green Sri Lanka) and greening the industries is one of its major missions where strategies and action plan has been formulated already Unquote.

The conference was held with the participation of Ministers in charge of Environment and Industries. Secretaries and Heads of the Ministries of the region of over 30 countries in Asia.

The Manila declaration on Green Industry in Asia - Managing the Transition to Resource Efficient and low carbon industries was adopted. It was widely discussed about the management of resources efficiently by industrialists of the Asian Region and what challenges Asian countries encounter as they move towards a low carbon sustainable path to development.

It was also looked at what economic benefits and business opportunities, policy makers, businesses and experts see emerging from the shift to low carbon and resource efficient patterns of industrial production.

The sessions also looked at the economic and business opportunities created by growing markets for eco-friendly products and energy and environmental services in the region.

The preparatory conference which was held in Bangkok in March this year was held this time in Manila with the patronage of Government of Philippines, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the United Nations Economics and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).