Climate Change Summit:

Sri Lanka proposes GHG emission cut

Chamikara Weerasinghe

Sri Lanka will participate in Copenhagen Climate Change Summit with seven proposals to achieve a proposed target for reducing Green House Gas (GHG) emissions by industrialized countries by establishing an Adaptation Fund.

The industrialized countries need to contribute one percent of the GDP Environment and Natural Resources, Minister Champika Ranawaka said Tuesday. He was speaking at a press conference at the Environment and Natural Resources Ministry to explain what Sri Lanka would do by participating in the Copenhagen Climate Conference to be held in the Bella Centre near the Copenhagen Airport in Denmark. Minister Ranawaka said adapting to adverse effects of climate change is an urgent need.

Sri Lanka will propose an Adaptation Fund with adequate finance as opposed to the existing Adaptation Fund that is in place under the Kyoto convention as the latter cannot meet the needs of adaptation in developing countries.

In 2012 the Kyoto Protocol to prevent climate change and global warming runs out. A new climate protocol is an urgent need. The Climate Conference in Copenhagen is essential for the worlds climate stability.

The Danish Government and UNFCCC is making efforts to make the conference a success by framing a renewed convention which may be called the Copenhagen Protocol on climate change.

Over 300,000 people die in the world annually due to various effects of climate change, said the Minister.

Speaking on the proposals the Minister said the proposals are based on GHG emission reduction target for Annex I countries, adaptation, mitigation, technology transfer, capacity building, financial mechanism and reduction of emissions from deforestation and degradation.