NOTE: Some content may not display correctly, including tables and figures. See PDF for full details.
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
National Policy and Strategy
For
Cleaner Production
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources
N2, “Sampathpaya” Rajamalwatte Road, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka.
2005
Preface
Unsustainable production and consumption patterns leading to increasing poverty, imbalances in economic development opportunities and deterioration of environment is a pressing global concern.
Unsustainable consumption patterns continue to result in increasing demand on natural resources. It is necessary to address this problem consistent with a goal of sustainable utilization of natural resources while preventing and or minimizing environmental pollution.
Accordingly negative impacts caused by unsustainable consumption of natural resources on human health and environment could be minimized.
It has been accepted globally that application of Cleaner Production practices facilitates improvements of productivity thereby reducing the production cost. This in turn will facilitate industrial and services sectors to be competitive in the international market.
The National Policy and the Strategy on Cleaner Production for Sri Lanka has been developed by this Ministry in collaboration with all relevant stakeholders including the National Cleaner Production Centre.
The policy pronounces that Cleaner Production principles should be applied to improve the efficiency of natural resource use while maintaining and improving environmental quality.
The National Policy on Cleaner Production aims at achieving sustainable development, enhanced environmental quality, improved eco-efficiency, improved living standards and poverty alleviation.
A judicious and continuous translation of this national policy and strategic objectives into national and sub-national plans of action is essential for realization of desired results.
P.M. Leelaratne
Secretary
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources
National Policy and Strategy for Cleaner Production for Sri Lanka
Preamble
Sri Lanka seeks to become a prosperous nation, with a stable and internationally competitive economy, combining growth with equity in the context of a liberalized economic system, while retaining people friendly democratic values and institutions, and protecting Sri Lanka’s ancient heritage.
This vision is designed to be accomplished through promotion of ecologically sustainable production and consumption while maintaining the viability of our ecosystem from generation to generation.
In this process it is essential to avoid damage to the environment and harmful effects on human health caused by pollution and by unsustainable production and consumption practices, and to the sustainability of the ecology and life supporting systems through over-exploitation of natural resources.
Our nation is mindful of the need to sustain the gains already made in containing the increase of population so as to avoid the depletion of natural resources.
To achieve these key objectives there is a need for a paradigm shift from reactive approaches to more proactive, environmentally sound strategies by: incorporating cleaner production concepts and practices into the processes, products and services in all the sectors and activities of the country with public/private sector partnerships, inter-sectoral co-operation and widespread stakeholder participation.
Cleaner Production means: The continuous application of an integrated preventive environmental strategy to processes, products and services to increase efficiency and reduce risks to humans and the environment.
Cleaner Production approaches, by focusing upon the entire life cycle of the design and implementation of processes, production of products and provision of services, have been proven to help industrial and governmental leaders to make economic and ecological improvements at the same time and thereby to be able to make progress towards the goal of sustainable societies.
National Policy and Strategy on Cleaner Production
- Policy Goals
1.1 Achieve Sustainable Development in Sri Lanka;
1.2 Improve Environmental Quality throughout Sri Lanka;
1.3 Improve Eco-efficiency across all Sectors of the Economy in Sri Lanka;
1.4 Alleviate Poverty and Improve the Living Standards of all Sri Lankans.
- Policy Objectives
2.1 Reduce consumption pressure on the natural resources base by efficient use of raw material;
2.2 Improve environmental performance by using ecologically sound practices in the production processes, design and use of products, and in the provision and use of services;
2.3 Improve efficiency of water and energy consumption by minimizing wastage and excessive exploitation and use through improving the production process of better products and provision of services;
2.4 Improve competitiveness in the local and global economy through environmental sound practices;
2.5 Improve social responsibility towards sustainable development.
3. Policy Statements
3.1 Integrate CP concepts, policies and practices into all sectoral procedures with the goal of improving material and energy use efficiency by utilizing cleaner production methods, producing eco products and providing better services while ensuring environmental health of the ecosystem and of the people of Sri Lanka;
3.2 Provide incentives and disincentives as appropriate to improve the effectiveness of CP policies and practices in all sectors;
3.3 Establish and implement supportive legislation to promote CP;
3.4 Establish and implement performance measurement and benchmarking systems to evaluate efficiency of sectoral policies and to monitor the overall impacts of these policies on environmental, economic and social development;
3.5 Promote changing of consumption patterns to more sustainable levels through implementation of CP concepts and approaches;
3.6 Build capacity to implement CP policies and procedures, at all levels;
3.7 Apply CP policies at the local, regional and national levels to improve system efficiencies;
3.8 Incorporate CP concepts into the Educational System, at all levels;
3.9 Secure multi-sectoral stakeholder participation in the CP programs.
4. Strategies
4.1 Change present water consumption patterns to reduce excessive exploitation, use and wastage;
4.2 Eliminate/Mitigate wastage of energy and improve system efficiencies for energy conservation;
4.3 Apply lifecycle thinking to reduce/eliminate over use of raw materials and wastage of eliminate/reduce quantity and toxicity of emissions and discharges in production process and services in order to reduce/eliminate air, water and land pollution;
4.4 Change the processes/practices, which cause soil degradation by improving implementation of ecologically sound soil conservation methods;
4.5 Create disincentives for production and use of environmentally harmful products and incentives for production and use of environmentally beneficial products by awareness campaigns, increased product information and also changing of consumers’ behavioral patterns;
4.6 Create awareness about the potential and procedures of CP among all sectors and the general public at large and, promote public consultation and participation of grass roots level personnel in the decision making process, wherever feasible;
4.7 Promote good governance through incorporating CP practices at the Local, Regional and National governmental levels;
4.8 Develop regulatory, financial and market based instruments to facilitate implementation of sectoral CP policies;
4.9 Establish performance indicators and benchmarks to assess and monitor the performance of the sectoral CP policies;
4.10 Establish and utilize regular reporting procedures to convey the results of the CP programs to all stakeholders;
4.11 Establish and implement procedures for improving the overall CP program and policies, as needed, based upon results obtained from the monitoring process;
4.12 Develop a sustainable institutional mechanism to co-ordinate inter and intra sectoral CP activities and networks throughout Sri Lanka.
Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources