Sri Lanka prepared to welcome Paris Agreement

The Paris Agreement on climate change came into force on November 4, 2016. Following the decision for the adoption of the Agreement taken at the 21st session of the Conference of Parties (COP21) by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Paris last year, Sri Lanka signed the Agreement alongside 170 plus countries in April 2016. 

Having ratified the Agreement in September, Sri Lanka is among the 94 Parties to the UNFCCC representing 66 percent of global emissions. As per Article 21 of the Paris Agreement, the agreement enters into force “on the thirtieth day after the date on which at least 55 Parties to the Convention accounting in total for at least an estimated 55 percent of the total global greenhouse gas emissions have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.”
“We are fortunate to have a president who has taken personal interest in the environment. As Minister of Environment, not only has he initiated Sri Lanka NEXT, but has also set out the ‘Blue-Green’ economic pathways available. Sri Lanka is among the many countries that have ratified the Paris Agreement. 

However, this ratification was made only following a four-day parliamentary debate. Despite the arduous process, we are also pleased to know that there are so many opinions on climate change because of the knowledge and discussion generated around it,” said Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya addressing the closing ceremony of the Sri Lanka NEXT Conference and Exhibition held from October 17-19 at the BMICH.