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On April 9, Sri Lankans, irrespective of race, religion, or social class, gathered at the Presidential Secretariat in Galle Face Green, swelling and transforming into the most significant unified protest movement in Sri Lanka, now known as the Aragalaya—the Struggle of the People.
One week after its inception, Galle Face Green evolved from a protest ground to a public forum where people from all walks of life and all corners of the island arrived to express their grievances and frustrations. Not after long, the site was named “Gota Go Gama” with the prime objective of chasing out the country’s President at the time. Many protesters pitched tents at the site day and night until their demands were met.
This revolutionary movement led to a discussion group to prepare young leaders for the local government election to train them to take the country forward. As a result, “Aragalaya XCore” was launched on December 12, last year, to nurture potential youth leaders in the country who will seek public office. They are evolving from outdated political strategies, looking into new movements such as “Green politics.”
What is Ecopolitics?
Green politics, or Ecopolitics, is a relatively new political movement that places a concern for nature and its species at the top of its agenda. New social and political movements arise in response to crises that are perceived to be both long-term and systemic. The crisis from which the broadly-based Green movement has emerged is the environmental crisis, a series of interconnected crises caused by population growth.
Sri Lanka Greens, or “Shri Lanka Harithayin,” is one such movement giving green politics a go in Sri Lanka. The Climate Fact Checks team spoke to the leader of Sri Lanka Greens, Sahan Wiratunga, to learn more about the potential for green politics in Sri Lanka.
Policies, Sri Lanka Greens stand by
The Sri Lanka Greens is still in its primary stages, but they have set 7 policies based on the principles of green politics. Their political ideology stands on three pillars: environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy.
1st Policy: Climate Change
To avoid and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases which contribute to the changes in the Climate.
2nd Policy: Blue Green Economy
To pave the way for a socio-ecological market economy that creates a new regulatory framework for a fair, ecological, and sustainable economy by building an alliance between labor and the environment.
3rd Policy: Environment, Preservation of Nature, and Sustainable Agriculture.
To stand for moral and philosophical conservation movements focused on protecting national species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, protecting biological diversity, and farming sustainably.
4th Policy: Quality of Life
To meet the standard indicators of life, which include wealth, employment, the environment, physical and mental health, education, recreation and leisure time, social belonging, religious beliefs, safety, security, and freedom, will improve.
5th Policy: Peace, Democracy and Good Governance
A government mechanism is an effective and efficient structure that provides optimal support to citizens to lead safe and productive life in line with their desires and opportunities.
6th Policy: Social Security
A mechanism that provides individuals and households with ensured access to health care and a guarantee of income security.
7th Policy: Foreign Policy
Based on the geographical location and considering the opportunities available in the Indian Ocean, the foreign policy will be driven to make Sri Lanka a regional powerhouse in the Indian Ocean.
Sri Lanka Green’s approach to facing Climate Change.
Q: What approaches will your party take to strengthen the resilience of communities vulnerable to the impacts of Climate Change?
A: We should address the issue from the root cause itself; there is a significant loss in biodiversity due to poverty prevailing. Hence, we will take initiatives to uplift their economy and create awareness of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. Looking at the communities more susceptible to the impacts of climate change, attention needs to focus on responsive and protective actions. The solutions are dynamic. We cannot say it is one size fits all. In Sri Lanka, what generally happens is the opposite. But we need to approach the problem case by case, area by area, and evaluate them properly to find the most suitable solutions. Hence, these approaches must be tailor-made according to geographical vulnerability, community standards, resource availability, etc.
Q: Based on the policy to improve Sri Lanka’s blue-green economy. How do you hope to strengthen the alliance between labor and the environment to make the system more sustainable?
A: We propose a system where the people get the opportunity to get more involved in the system and businesses. We want to allow people to reap what they sow in contrast to a monopoly system. We will allow big companies to come in and invest, but there will be a regulating mechanism where a significant portion of the profits should also be shared with the community. That will motivate the community members to protect the environment and take proper measures against the damages done as it will threaten their livelihoods. So the solutions will come from the community as well.
Q: How do you hope to improve Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector in the face of a national food crisis?
A: Sri Lanka engages in agriculture still through the traditional practices that have existed for centuries which could be more efficient. The improvement must be made after some time; we need to improve the yield, increase efficiency, and make the most use of the land. We need to be more scientific and innovative. We need to look at other countries and the technology they use. Looking at the issue related to chemical fertilizer, we agree that it needs to be banned. Still, it must be done systematically by monitoring the soil and adapting crops. Thorough studies need to be done to restrict fertilizer use, and it should be a progressive process.
Q: The Energy crisis we are currently facing is not just a national problem but a global one. How do you suggest we overcome this in Sri Lanka?
A: When we look at national energy production, it is a monopoly system regulated by a government authority. There must be more transparency, room for other investors, and room for innovation or competition. There is much potential for corruption to flourish in this system, and minimum efforts have been taken to improve the renewable energy sector. We propose to allow private-public partnerships with more private competitors to contribute to the grid by improving renewable energy and, simultaneously, by opening up our energy sector to approach the problem and address the consumers’ needs. It is pretty much in line with an open economic system.
Q: Regarding the updated National NDCs, what is your opinion on the feasibility of these targets?
A: The problem with the Sri Lankan NDCs is their feasibility, which needs to be revised. The numbers exist; for example, Sri Lanka increased its renewable energy contribution by 4000MW in 2019, with no progress in the following years. The NDCs are just suggestions, but we need action. To act, we need transparent financing. We currently need help financially, which is restricting these targets’ achievement. With a proper system, we can move forward with the proposed NDCs. Our party’s stand is to be practical. Although we have more ambitious targets not set to be achieved in 2030, we suggest laying the groundwork before approaching these targets.
Q: How do you plan to finance the policies set by Sri Lanka Greens for the country?
A: The loss and Damage fund was discussed during COP26, with the commitment of G26 and G8 countries. It is questionable if these pledges are only for name sake or how they will be implemented. We cannot solely rely on external funds. We need to use our natural resources; looking at the strategic location of Sri Lanka, we have to use the maritime border to convert the country into an economic hub. We need to align with India as it is on its way to becoming the next regional powerhouse. We must establish trade ties with India to get the best out of the economy. Those should be in our financial strategy, not solely relying on carbon financing and other environmental financing mechanisms. We have to look into ways to find more funds and investments and target booming economies.
Sahan concluded by stating, “Climate Change is happening regardless of the country’s economic status. We cannot overlook the fact that it is there; we cannot overlook the fact that our lives and future are under threat. As the country’s youth, we must take a stand to raise our voices. We need to get more involved in policy-making and governing decisions to ensure that future generations have a country to live in. Looking at the vulnerability, we are heading toward our doomsday if we don’t take any action soon. We must stand for our environment, motherland, and future generations. Now is the best time to step forward and join us to create a change toward a better country.”
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