Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2016-09-27

Construction and maintenance of Government and Semi-government buildings widely as eco-friendly green buildings

- Although our ancestors had constructed their dwelling places using very simple plans and maintaining very high standards to suit the tropical climatic conditions; in the recent years, due to imitating foreign architectural designs without paying attention to the climatic conditions in Sri Lanka, most of the present day buildings are deprived of sufficient sunlight and natural ventilation and have become dependent on artificial lighting and air conditioning and as a result, a plethora of environmental, economic and technological issues have arisen. Buildings which are constructed with eco-friendly materials and methods and optimal and efficient utilization of other resources including energy, are commonly known as 'green buildings' and when moving towards sustainable development, the adoption of the Guidelines on Green Buildings is of utmost importance. Accordingly, the proposal made by H.E. the President Maithripala Sirisena, in his capacity as the Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment, to implement the Guidelines on Green Buildings, prepared with the concurrence of the relevant Ministries, by the Officials' Committee appointed to submit recommendations on bringing all government buildings to up to a sustainable and eco-friendly level and maintaining such buildings in a safe and user-friendly manner, was approved by the Cabinet.