First time in Sri Lanka over 50 industry experts congregate to conclude Life Cycle Assessment and management for Sustainability

Which is more ecofriendly – paper or plastic bags? Timber or steel? Organic or vegetarian? Life Cycle Assessment is a tool that can help us make decisions to achieve a greener Sri Lanka.

25th February 2015, Hilton Colombo;For the first time in Sri Lanka a workshop on capacity building on Life Cycle Assessment & Management for Sustainability was successfully concluded by by Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment through Policy and Planning division, Lead by MrAjith Silva Director, The technical chair of the three days by DrThusithaSugathapala Director General Sustainable Energy Authority also a member of advisory committee if LCADeSNet in collaboration with The Ministry of Environment & Renewable energy, Life Cycle Assessment for Design Sustainability Network (LCADeNet), United Nations Environment Program and Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The overall objective of the series of workshop is the promotion of concepts of Life Cycle Assessment and Management as a decision making and management tool in Sri Lanka by raising the awareness and capacity building among the key stakeholders in the state, business, and higher education sectors.

The workshop comprised of a vast range of topics including supporting tools for State policy formulation and corporate decision making, Capacity Building Program for Industrialists & Academics and Inputs for National LCA Operational Road map, creating an open forum for 50 participants formed with Officials from the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Industries, Management level participants from the relevant industries, International LCA experts, LCADeSNet Officials, University Academics involved in LCA related research and teaching and practicing level industrial representatives.

Commenting at the forum Dr. ParakramaKarunarathe, President LCADeSNet Sri Lanka, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya“Learning the new era of sustainability supporting tools and take in to the industry and academic curricular is a pivotal role of policy makers and academics. This workshop enables us to do it.”

This highly successful event bring together stakeholders in various industries, policy makers and academics with a vast input of knowledge to integrate LCA to policy and implementing in any operation building a greener future. Industry is leading the way for LCA in Sri Lanka, with experts presenting their success in using LCA related tools to green hotels, and putting Sri Lankan exports such as environmentally friendly tea and even carbon neutral lingerie on the map in the global market.

Industry expert Chalaka Fernando, Secretary LCADeSNet, Head of Sustainable Development in Holcim (Lanka) Ltd stated “Sustainable Consumption and Production is the key to de-couple the unnecessary material consumption from economic growth. LCA is the tools to measure and interpret it to concerned parties in a digestible way. Hence learning, practice LCA is very important.”

United Nations Environment Programme representative, Janet Salem, said “There are already frontrunners in Sri Lanka using LCA to green industry. With support from policy makers, academia and the international community, Sri Lanka can move from these excellent innovative case studies to mainstreaming LCA to support ecologically sustainable development”.