Corporates will have to embrace green technology in future progress
The Paris climate summit convention declared that countries should have legally binding instruments to address the sustainability goals, and in this context Sri Lanka too proposed a 50 percent reduction in nitrogen gases at a convention held in 2019 in Colombo.
The Colombo declaration in 2019 specified a 50 percent reduction in nitrogen oxide emission which is 300 percent more than carbon dioxide gas emission, said Prof. Ajith de Alwis, Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies of the Moratuwa University speaking at a webinar hosted by Brandix Sustainability Summit last week.
He said for sustainability development goals to be meaningful it is necessary to have a 50 percent reduction in carbon emission to the environment by 2030 and the country has to act urgently as it is facing a crisis situation in the world,
Victoria Burrows, Director Advancing Net Zero, World Green Building Council, said that the World Building Council is a global network that works for several countries including India and Sri Lanka to create sustainable buildings for every one and everywhere. It is important for the corporate sector to invest in green buildings to achieve sustainability development. Green buildings are developing different tools, training programmes and resources to achieve this goal to help policy makers to develop long term goals by changing existing regulations in the regions. “We have to have a radical approach the way we operate. We cannot wait till the policy makers amend existing legislation and the corporate sector should proceed ahead to achieve these goals,” she said.
Ms. Naadia Buhary – Sustainability Lead, Brandix Apparel Ltd, said as the private sector they have a collective responsibility to ensure that they lead forward towards a sustainable future.
Sustainability is not a short term fix but needs a long term solution with a lasting impact. “We started our sustainability goal almost 14 years ago and set up our platinum-rated factory in Seeduwa. As far as energy was concerned we reduced 84 percent carbon foot print in energy. The water consumption too has improved by 30 percent and 91 percent of the waste is recycled. Over a period of 14 years we invested a lot in energy to ensure our operations are energy efficient. In 2019 we set up the first natural carbon garment facility in Batticaloa. We ensured that whatever energy we used came from renewable sources,” she said.
Rathika de Silva -Network Representative /Executive Director, UNGC Sri Lanka and Vinura Jayawardena–Engineer, Sustainability Brandix also spoke.