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Resilience in the face of Climate Change
Inception Workshop for the Climate Finance Network Project
Colombo, 16 July 2022: Sri Lanka is particularly susceptible to the negative impacts of climate change as a small island and developing nation. Recognising the importance of contributing towards a greener future, Sri Lanka updated its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) pledging to achieve a carbon Net Zero status by 2050 and even more recently announced its Climate Prosperity Plan at the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2022 (COP27) to combat the threat of climate change.
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sri Lanka has had to face unprecedented economic hardships with resources being diverted to address the immediate crisis. However, as a country dependent on natural resources for its economy and employment generation, increased climate externalities continue to impact the lives and livelihoods of the people and economy.
In line with addressing the difficulties in financing climate-related issues, the United Nations Development Programme in Sri Lanka (UNDP) has partnered with the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Finance to implement the Climate Finance Network (CFN) Project. The project is regionally initiated by UNDP and funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office of the Government of the United Kingdom’s Climate Action for a Resilient Asia (CARA) initiative.
Speaking at the inception workshop of the project, Naseer Ahamed, Minister of Environment noted that “According to the assessment conducted by BIOFIN, Sri Lanka may face a 1.2 per cent loss of annual GDP by 2050 if measures are not taken to address climate change. Achieving these planned targets in climate change and transitioning towards a green, inclusive and balanced economy in Sri Lanka requires large investments from the financial sector which is an opportune moment for UNDP’s Climate Finance Network Project”.
Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Environment stated, “With Sri Lanka being more susceptible to climate change, in 2020, we developed the Climate Change Policy which is currently being revised. The Climate Finance Network Project will strengthen the capacity to access finance and technology, and become the overarching project on climate financing. In order to do this, we must reform our financial mechanisms. In the context of the present economic crisis, we are thankful to UNDP for its support”
The project aims to address barriers in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and NDC commitments, while enabling countries to effectively mobilize, manage, utilize and track the use of public finance and climate-aligned private investments to combat climate change effectively whilst promoting gender equality, human rights and poverty reduction to contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Malin Herwig, Officer-in-Charge, UNDP in Sri Lanka highlighted the importance of collective action, stating, “CFN seeks to create an enabling environment to access climate finance and institute innovative and sustainable financing mechanisms that not only work towards climate resilience – but also towards balanced and inclusive green growth. Indeed, CFN brings together many sectors, tying together the economy, environment and society in the way SDGs do. Seeing and working with this interconnectedness is vital for Sri Lanka.”
Speaking at the event, Andrew Price, Head of Prosperity Section, British High Commission in Sri Lanka noted, “We need to honour the pledges we made in Glasgow through the Glasgow Pact, so we can turn our struggle against climate change – there are countless recent examples that illustrate how countries are being hit hard by climate events. The children of Sri Lanka and the youth around the world deserve a greener planet and a more prosperous future. We need to make it our mission to provide jobs for our children and deliver clean growth”.
The CFN Project will be focusing on 4 areas in Sri Lanka, namely climate change-aligned budgeting and planning; direct access to international climate change finance; transparency and accountability of climate change finance; and gender and social inclusion in climate change finance.
Ruwan Wijewardene, Presidential Advisor on Climate Change emphasized that “In order to achieve the best socio-economic outcomes, we must first be climate resilient. We are committed to increasing our renewable energy production from 35% to 75% by the end of this decade, as well as studying our potential for green hydrogen. We are thankful to UNDP, the UK government, UK Aid, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for conducting workshops, such as this, that help us learn and understand more about climate finance.”
Emphasising the importance of green financing, Gangatharan, Additional Director General (Agriculture & Environment, National Planning Department noted that, “The climate financing space affords issuers the ability to structure and negotiate products that best fit their needs. Today’s workshop enables the Treasury to validate two key matters of concern in managing and ensuring effective processes – namely, the institutional framework and their structure to access climate financing initiatives.”
This discussion was a stepping stone in supporting the implementation of Sri Lanka’s climate commitments and building a resilient future – enabling economies, the environment and people to prosper while adapting to climate change.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
