United Nations and Brandix partner to promote Biomass Energy

 

COVID-19 has contributed to ongoing health and economic crisis, exacerbating the global situation in poverty and climate. Driving change in the human-environment nexus to protect the health of human and natural resources is crucial to a future that does not replicate the crisis we are in today, as Sri Lanka works to construct 'forward' better coming out of the pandemic.

In this context, renewable clean energy will provide affordable, climate-compliant solutions that can help alleviate the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. Against this backdrop, Brandix Apparel Ltd. has partnered with the United Nations Development Program ( UNDP) to promote renewable energy in Sri Lanka by facilitating model fuelwood plantations for a sustainable supply of energy in Sri Lanka.

In speaking about this relationship, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Faiza Effendi said, "There is a huge potential for a reset as nations brace for the COVID-19 aftermath." Ambitious green recovery strategies would enable countries to rebuild their economies and deepen their energy transition. This situation is an excellent time for Sri Lanka to speed up the switch to clean energy to maintain a more substantial recovery for everyone.

Sustainable biomass energy as a renewable energy source has the potential to improve local economies. The collaboration between the UNDP and Brandix, a pioneer in Sri Lankan apparel manufacturing at the forefront of sustainability efforts and a conscientious energy user, will ensure low carbon growth in Sri Lanka while improving the company's initiatives to encourage the use of renewable biomass energy. Some of the significant initiatives include helping biomass energy suppliers implement SLS 1551, a sustainable biomass energy standard, and developing sustainable fuelwood plantations.

As the first corporate organisation to move forward in our efforts to ensure that the biomass used by Brandix responsibly purchased from accredited suppliers under SLS 1551, this MoU also reaffirms Brandix. Besides, as an extension, we will continue to engage our associates through a home garden concept to participate in the UNDP energy planting program across the region, thereby paving the way for them to improve their livelihoods while becoming active participants in our sustainability agenda.

Easily accessible, affordable, and reliable renewable energy is available. However, the potential for large-scale renewable energy remains largely untapped in many developing economies. Investments in this region will allow Sri Lanka and other countries to reap the full benefits of renewable energy in terms of growth and environment ahead of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

OSL Take: Sri Lanka requires to add substantial ability to satisfy present and future energy requirements expected to expand at around eight per cent per year. Sri Lanka has a total energy-generating capacity of 40 GWH as it depends primarily on heat energy, including a coal-fired Chinese energy plant, which accounts for 45% of its production. Insufficient rainfall has restricted the ability to generate hydropower, and the government compelled to impose power cuts in early 2019 owing to an absence of an ability to produce. To satisfy electricity shortages, the government has resorted to buying costly emergency power.

 VBS/At/21102020/Z_TB6