Enhancing Regional Cooperation In South Asia’s Energy Sector

By Avanthi Jayasuriya –OCTOBER 29, 2017

Avanthi Jayasuriya

The energy sector of Sri Lanka is seen as an integral component of the country’s shift towards sustainable development, with more attention being focused on achieving growth targets at low emission levels through sustainable energy sources. The nation’s agenda on shifting from using conventional energy sources such as coal and petroleum based fuels to source the energy needs, towards more sustainable renewable energy sources has been underscored in the formulation of the National Policies and Strategies on energy and the Long Term Generation Plan developed by the Ceylon Electricity Board.

Apart from national level policies and strategies related to the energy sector, the country has also made several international commitments which predetermine the future development of the country’s energy sector. In its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted to the United Nation’s Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Sri Lanka has committed to a 20% GhG emission reduction targets under the energy sector with 4% of unconditional reduction and 16% conditional reduction. Therefore, it is understood, that in order to meet the economy-wide escalating demand for electricity, which has an annual growth rate of 11 percent, the country needs to tap into its significant renewable energy potential.

Climate Change and the Energy Sector

Energy sector plays a key role in addressing climate change as it is one of the key sectors that contribute to the increase of CO2, and GHG emissions. In implementing mitigating targets for Sri Lanka, it is important that the energy sector moves from fossil based energy sources to renewable energy sources.

Dr. Sunimal Jayathunga, director of the Climate Change Secretariat of Sri Lanka, underscored the importance of the energy sector in addressing climate change and emphasizes on the opportunities available for multi-stakeholders to engage in the implementation of NDCs of Sri Lanka.

Commenting on the NDC process in Sri Lanka, Dr. Jayathunga stated that it remains a crucial concern as to how the gaps in policies and regulations can be abridged in order to achieve the targets set in the NDCs.

“Fourteen committees have been formed including both government and private sector officials as well as academics, and the readiness action plan was formulated for the years 2017-2019 in each sector. The next step is to identify the gaps and interventions needed to implement the NDCs of Sri Lanka”, he said.

Addressing Policy Gaps

Multiple policies and regulations relate to the different NDCs of 14 sectors in Sri Lanka. Vositha Wijenayake, Executive Director of SLYCAN Trust highlighted the need for addressing the gaps in policies and regulations which relate to the implementation of the NDCs.

“There are many laws and policies that relate to the implementation of NDCs in Sri Lanka. It is important to identify the gaps that exist and address them to facilitate the implementation of these country commitments,” she said.

Some of the policies and regulations that relate to the NDCs of the energy sector are the Constitutional Framework on Energy, Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority Act No. 35 of 2007, The National Energy Policy, the Blue Green Development Strategy and the Least Cost Generation Expansion Plan 2018-2037. Some of these have been passed after the ratification of the Paris Agreement by the Sri Lankan government, and it is important that these policies and regulations are in line with the NDCs of Sri Lanka.

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