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146th IPU Assembly & Related Meetings – From 11th to 15th March 2023

Manama, Bahrain

Parliamentary Efforts in Achieving Negative Carbon Balances of

Forests

Excellencies and Friends,

It is my great honour to participate the 146th Inter-Parliamentary Union here in Manama, the
Kingdom of Bahrain.

Last January, NASA revealed that 2022 one of the warmest year since 1880. Over the last
century, global temperatures have risen by 0.70C. Now climate change has become a major
threat to the life on the earth. Furthermore, recent researches have revealed that sea levels are
rising at three millimetres a year and Arctic sea ice is melting at almost three per cent a decade.
Continued warming of the atmosphere at the same rate will result in substantial damage to
water resources, ecosystems and coastlines, as well as having an impact on food supplies and
health. And several parts of our planet would be uninhabitable.

As a tropical island nation, Sri Lanka is highly vulnerable to adverse impacts of climate change.
The necessity of multi-level action has been risen without any slowdown as international
cooperation plays a critical role.

It is a known fact that forests come to the first place in climate change mitigation. Holding
more than half of the world’s land-based species of animals and plants, forests combat climate
change by sequestrating atmospheric carbon and storing it in their biomass. We identify this
scenario as the forest mitigation.

We believe, as a small island nation, it is mandatory to increase our share in towards the climate
change mitigation. Though, Sri Lanka has a low carbon footprint, unfortunately has a highly
vulnerable status on climate related disasters, Sri Lanka is bound to commit to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by 14.5% for the period of 2021-2030 from the Power (electricity
generation), Transport, Industry, Waste, Forestry, and Agriculture sectors. Sri Lanka’s Forest

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Reference Level consists of historical annual deforestation and reforestation estimates for the
period 2000 - 2010 combined with IPCC default emission and removal factors. Though total
emission from deforestation was estimated to be 4529 (‘000 tonnes of CO2 Eq.) whereas total
removals from forest gain is -70 (‘000 tonnes of CO2 Eq.). Our forest types range from tropical
lowland rainforest to savannah.

According to the Forest Cover analysis on 2015 which was done by the Department of Forest
Conservation of Sri Lanka, it has been reported 29.2% forest cover from the total land area of
Sri Lanka. This percentage is similar to 1,912,970 ha. To enhance the forest cover, three main
strategies have been recognized: protection and conservation of existing forests, expansion of
forests into new areas and improvement of tree cover on private land. Based on above
strategies, we have implemented different activities including ecological restoration,
maintenance of reforested areas and maintenance of replanted areas.

Further, Sri Lanka submitted updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the
UNFCCC on 30th July 2021, which includes a target to increase the national forest cover from
29.7% to 32% by 2030. Not only that, the Power sector is expected to achieve carbon neutrality
in electricity generation by 2050 and to achieve 70% renewable energy in electricity generation
by 2030 but also the contribution of the other mitigation sector to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, the target of achieving carbon neutrality has been advanced to 2050.

As a whole, limiting the average global temperature increase to 1.5°C will be impossible
without a major role for forests, both because of the massive emissions reductions that can be
achieved by ending deforestation and because of the additional carbon that can be sequestered
through improved forest management and reforestation. Forests in Sri Lanka face growing
threats from both anthropogenic and climate related pressures. In response, Ministry of
Environment and Ministry of Forest Resources Conservation are taking steps to restore healthy,
resilient forests. Declaration of new forest areas under the Forest Ordinance. During the last
five years, the Department of Forest Conservation has been able to reforested/rehabilitated
more than 5000 ha of degraded and deforested forest land with suitable native species. These
actions collectively mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. In the Net Zero Road map and Strategic
Plan, the Forest Department is planning to reforest/afforest 200,000 ha of land by 2050.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Sri Lanka expects to achieve its Carbon Neutrality by 2050

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Annual global emissions of greenhouse gases reached 50 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide
equivalents (CO2) in 2019, i.e. around 6.6 tonnes of CO2 per capita. In 2021, global emissions
have almost recovered to their pre-pandemic peak. Sri Lanka is a low carbon emitting country
with per capita emissions of around 1.02 tonnes/per person, and its development pathway has
remained low carbon-intensive. This global inequality in per capita emissions is due to large
inequalities in average emissions between countries. Sri Lanka became a party to the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) on 19th June 1992 and ratified
on 23rd November 1993. Further, as a country party to the UNFCC process, Sri Lanka also
ratified the Kyoto Protocol on 3rd September 2002, became a signatory to the Paris Agreement
on 22nd April 2016 and ratified the same on 21st September 2016.

Under this global situation as an island nation, we have realised our role in carbon neutrality
and we are taking a path with practical answers through a series of policy recommendations
including monitoring, reporting, taxation and earmarking.

Moreover, Sri Lanka has taken several steps by introducing national policies, strategies and
actions such as

o Climate Change Sector Vulnerability Profiles (2010) in order to address climate

change-induced impacts.
o National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Sri Lanka in 2010
o National Environmental Action Plan 2022-2030: Pathway to sustainable development
o National Strategic Action Plan for Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of
Mangrove Ecosystems in Sri Lanka 2022-2026
o Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMA) for energy
o Technology Needs Assessment and Technology Action Plans for Climate Change
Adaptation and Mitigation (2014)
o The National Adaptation Plan (NAP) for climate change impacts in Sri Lanka (2016)
o The National Climate Change Policy of Sri Lanka (2012)

In the process if carbon balancing, the Parliament of Sri Lanka has concerned matters on
reforestation, air quality, biodiversity conservation and carbon emission. The legislative
enactments and regulations have been adopted to achieve low carbon neutrality.

In 2017, the Parliament passed the Sustainable Development Act, No. 19 of 2017 which
established a High-Level Sustainable Development Council headed by the Secretary to the

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Executive President and constitutes membership from academia, civil society and provincial
councils. This act provides the legal framework for developing and implementing National
Policy and Strategy on Sustainable Development. Proceeding the amendments of the Fauna
and Flora Protection (Amendment) Act, No. 7 of 2022 which guarantees that all matters
necessary for the enforcement of the provision of the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITIES). The World Bank has extended the
credit to the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) for the Ecosystem Conservation and
Management Project (ESCAMP) from 2017 to 2022 which was executed by the Ministry of
Wildlife and Forest Conservation. The objective of this project is to improve the management
of sensitive ecosystems in selected locations for conservation and community benefits. The
approaches are linked. So long as forest ecosystems can adapt to the effects of the changing
climate, they will help mitigate climate change by sequestering and storing large quantities of
carbon in trees.

We have observed, experienced and suffered the extreme climatic conditions induced by
anthropogenic carbon emissions. Unless we do not move forward promptly, our next
generation will receive an uninhabitable planet. So let’s stand together for solidarity and urgent
actions.

Thank you

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