Accelerating the shift to renewable energy is essential not only as a response to the climate crisis but also as a strategic investment in Sri Lanka’s long-term economic stability, Marc-André Franche, the UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka stated.
The UN Resident Coordinator said renewable energy development is closely tied to the country’s energy security, economic resilience and fiscal sustainability.
He noted that with the right mix of investment and international partnerships, Sri Lanka’s transition to cleaner energy could generate new employment opportunities, strengthen local communities, and reduce vulnerability to global fuel price shocks.
Marc-André Franche also stressed that climate change mitigation and economic development should be viewed together, adding that renewable energy expansion represents both an environmental necessity and a pathway to long-term national stability.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for urgent action to address what he described as two interconnected global crises: climate change and energy insecurity.
Speaking at the London Climate Action Week, the UN Chief warned that continued dependence on fossil fuels is driving both rising temperatures and growing energy vulnerabilities, while underscoring that renewable energy offers a pathway to greater energy security, affordability and resilience.
“The verdict is in: energy independence cannot be built on fossil fuel dependence,” the Secretary-General said, highlighting that renewable energy is now the cheapest source of new electricity in most parts of the world and a cornerstone of long-term energy security.
Warning that climate impacts are already disrupting lives, livelihoods and economies around the world, the Secretary-General stressed that accelerating the transition to clean energy is essential to building a more secure, resilient and sustainable future.
The Secretary-General also announced a global Call to Action on Methane, focused on accelerating emissions reductions across the fossil fuel, agriculture and waste sectors. Methane is responsible for around one-third of global warming, making it one of the fastest opportunities to slow climate change while delivering benefits for public health, food security and sustainable development.
He also highlighted the role of artificial intelligence, noting that while AI can help advance climate solutions, the systems that power it consume significant amounts of energy, water and land. The Secretary-General proposed an AI Environmental Transparency Initiative, calling on major AI companies to disclose the environmental footprint of their systems and transition data centres to renewable energy by 2030.
Meanwhile, responding to the rising threat of climate change, Sri Lanka has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20.09 per cent by 2035 through its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0). The country also aims to generate 70 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, expand forest cover and reduce emissions from the waste sector through improved recycling and waste management.