COLOMBO, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka seeks closer cooperation with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) for a green and sustainable future, a statement from the prime minister's office said on Monday.
The statement said that during a discussion held with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena in Seoul, the GGGI chairman, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, expressed appreciation for the close partnership with Sri Lanka and assured efforts to reinforce the longstanding amicable relations between Sri Lanka and the GGGI and to explore opportunities to fortify bilateral ties across various sectors.
The government of Sri Lanka is in the process of transitioning to a greener, more inclusive, and more resilient economy through interventions on renewable energy, sustainable transport, and creating cities greener, said Gunawardena.
As an island country, Sri Lanka is extremely vulnerable to climate impacts. "We have to take urgent actions to protect our people and ecosystems from those impacts," Gunawardena said.
Ban said that he sincerely appreciates the close partnership GGGI enjoys working with the government of Sri Lanka, including the Ministry of Environment and the common drive to a green and sustainable future.
Currently, the GGGI is supporting the Sri Lankan government in building resilience to climate change by updating its national adaptation plan and developing Sri Lanka's first full set of provincial adaptation plans with embedded investment plans in key sectors. ■