COP21: Coping With Climate Change
By Asanga Abeyagoonasekera –November 30, 2015
Asanga Abeygoonasekera
“Our civilization is fuelled 85% by fossil fuels, releasing 110 million tons of pollution into the thin atmospheric layer every 24 hours. As carbon dioxide levels increase temperatures, the effect of this energy is the cumulative equivalent of detonating 400,000 atomic bombs per day, 365 days per year” – Al Gore (Davos WEF, 2015)
The city of Paris, soon after the Friday the 13th attacks, will be hosting one of the largest global conferences titled the Paris Climate Conference (COP21) in Le Bourget. This conference aims to show the world that leaders believing in liberal democratic values aim at creating a better environment for the future standing united, despite obstacles.
In support of the Paris climate conference, top global CEO’s from 150 countries from 78 companies who generate $2.1 trillion of revenue have signed a declaration. They pledge to support public private partnership to secure a more prosperous world tacking the biggest global challenge –climate change. The aims of the conference include delivering a new climate change agreement that will put the world on track to a low-carbon and ensure a sustainable future while keeping the rise in global temperature to less than 2 degrees.
Negotiators from 195 countries will attempt to finalise a new treaty and political leaders from 147 countries will address this conference. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has united with global leaders at the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties 21 (COP21). Sirisena has been a supporter of a better environment and efforts toward minimizing the carbon foot print from the days he was the Minister of Environment. The Sri Lankan President made a statement in New York while addressing the UN Summit for the Adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda. He states “Sri Lanka will be fully committed to dealing with the 13th Sustainable Development Goal relating to climate change, we will strive to minimize risks of possible environmental hazards.”
Unfortunately, his new government’s budget has increased the price of electric cars significantly discouraging electric vehicles. This needs to be revised if we are supporting a carbon free world as the entire world has moved towards this path- we need to support and encourage electric vehicles toward sustainable energy. Over the previous regime, the coal power plant implemented stood as a threat to our environment and future generations. It is important that the President initiates a strategic environment committee to overlook new initiatives and projects and identify sustainable environment friendly projects from ones that may lead to creating further environmental destruction. Read More
