Affordable and Clean Energy

Greenhouse gasses from human activities are the most noteworthy driver of observed climate change since the mid-20 th century. The use of fossil fuels for energy, which accounts for around 60% of total global greenhouse gas emissions, has become the main contributor to climate change. In contrast, clean energy from natural and renewable sources does not pollute the atmosphere when it is utilized. It produces power without having negative environmental impacts that lead to climate change. Moreover, the use of clean and renewable resources will preserve the world’s non-renewable resources, and also will reduce the risk of environmental disasters such as fuel spills and natural gas leaks. Therefore, shifting toward the use of renewable energy as fast as possible is essential to counter climate change, which is one of the biggest threats to our survival, and to prevent depletion of natural resources. In 2015, the United Nations (UN) adopted seventeen development goals (SDGs) as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people revel in peace and prosperity. Energy is an essential requirement for many activities in industry, transportation, food security, health and education, etc.; hence clean and affordable energy, identified as SDG-7, is crucial and it is integrated into many other SDGs as well.

To achieve the SDG-7 in 2030, five goals have been identified by the UN as: (i) ensuring the universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services, (ii) substantially increasing the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix, (iii) doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency, (iv) enhancing international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology, and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology and (v) expanding infrastructure and upgrading technology for supplying modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing countries, particularly in least developed countries.

In Sri Lanka, the supply of most of the energy at present is from non-renewable resources such as coal, natural gas, petroleum and natural gas liquids. Renewable energy resources such as biomass, geothermal energy, hydropower, solar energy, and wind energy are also used at different rates. By 2030, the government is aiming to achieve 70% of electricity production from renewable sources and also to achieve net carbon zero by 2050. The Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA) was established in 2007 to drive energy efficiency throughout the country by identifying sustainable energy resources and to generate energy in an effective, efficient and eco-friendly manner.