Scientists causing environmental harm through inventions: Environment Secretary

• The Ministry plans to introduce a new concept encouraging scientists to make their inventions more eco-friendly
• Emphasized that there should be a balance between environmental protection and development to meet global demands.

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama

Environment Ministry Secretary K.R. Uduwawala said that, in general, scientists are contributing to environmental damage through their new inventions.   

Speaking at the Presidential Environment Awards 2025 held yesterday at the BMICH, he said many scientists fail to consider the environmental impact of their innovations.   

Therefore, the Ministry plans to introduce a new concept encouraging scientists to make their inventions more eco-friendly.   

He further said that discussions are underway with the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Environment to introduce a ‘Green Research’ concept in the near future.   

“Through this concept, scientists should pay more attention to environmental protection when developing new inventions. Environmental damage must be prevented by the scientists themselves,” the Secretary said.   

He added that several regulatory requirements will be introduced under this initiative, in line with international agreements, green concepts, circular economy practices, and carbon-zero goals. These procedures, rules, and regulations will apply to eco-friendly goods, services, and manufacturing industries in the future.   

He explained that, once these concepts are implemented, airline passengers will be able to see the amount of carbon emitted by a particular airline over a certain period when purchasing tickets. “In the future, there will also be a trend for naval vessels to enter zero-carbon harbours,” he said.   

These concepts will eventually extend to other goods and services as well, he added.   

Uduwawala further emphasized that there should be a balance between environmental protection and development to meet global demands. “Our target is to find the middle ground through the development of sustainable energy systems,” he said.   

He also noted that global scientists are now paying greater attention to the potential environmental challenges posed by electric vehicle (EV) batteries in the coming decades.   

“Sri Lanka is moving toward electric mobility and away from fossil fuel vehicles. However, EV batteries typically last about ten years, and we must plan how to manage electronic waste responsibly. Therefore, scientists and environmentalists should work together to find solutions to this issue,” Uduwawala said.