Towards a carbon-neutral Sri Lanka

Global attention has been drawn to the problems of climate change and global warming in the last few years.

According to the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Faiszer Musthapha, the debate on climate change has been in the west but after much deliberation, he said, “there is no doubt that it is a reality and a fact which scientists have proved and governments have accepted.” Sri Lanka has long been serious about protecting the environment.

While addressing a presentation on climate change sponsored by the Responsible Tourism Partnership Sri Lanka and The Travel Foundation this past week, Musthapha said the tourism and travel industries are the key offenders of global warming but are now ready with action plans to implement practical and simple solutions.

In fact, he said a lot of hotels have already made energy cost reductions.

Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority and Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Renton De Alwis said the urgent challenges facing the industry and the country at large is terrorism, poverty, global warming and climate change. There are several ongoing initiatives which Sri Lankan Tourism is involved in. De Alwis said the Environment Ministry has various initiatives in the works.

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has started an energy saving initiative. Several coastal greening projects are by NGO's and INGO's and were started after the 2004 tsunami. (NG)