Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2016-08-30

Ratification of Paris Agreement by Sri Lanka

- 178 countries including Sri Lanka have placed their signatures to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters, on 22nd April 2016. It is expected to significantly reduce the impact and risk of Climate Change by making every effort to keep the increase of global temperature level well below 2 0C, relative to the pre-industrial era level, and not exceed 1.5 0C. It is important for Sri Lanka, being an island nation which may be prey to adverse impacts of climate change such as prolonged droughts, flash floods, rise in sea levels, landslides and inundation of low lands, to become a party to such Agreement and therefore, the proposal made by H.E. the President Maithripala Sirisena, in his capacity as the Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment, for the ratification of said the Paris Agreement by Sri Lanka and to proceed with related future action, was approved by the Cabinet.