APSL @ COP26

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The President of APSL Thushara Madurasinghe and We Sri Lanka Project lead Don Gihantha Jayasinghe  represented APSL at  a Pre COP26 meeting organised by the International Nitrogen Management Systems (INMS) and the Government of Sri Lanka on the 31st Oct 2021, in Glasgow, Scotland. The event was titled: Rediscovering Nitrogen: Solutions and synergies for Climate Change, Health Biodiversity and Circular Economy. The session focused on sustainable nitrogen management. It was mentioned that Daniel Rutherford discovered nitrogen in 1772 and James Hutton established the world’s first nitrogen manufacturing plant in Scotland.

The Keynote address was delivered by H.E Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka who is also leading the Colombo Declaration on sustainable Nitrogen management.

Amongst the VVIP’s/VIP’s in attendance were:

H.E Gotabaya Rajapaksa – President of Sri Lanka

H.E Ibrahim Mohamed Solih – President of Maldives

Hon. Prof. G. L. Peiris – Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sri Lanka

Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland – Secretary General of the Commonwealth

Prof. Julie Fitzpatrick – Chief Scientific Advisor for Scotland

Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera – Minister for Environment, SL

Hon. Duminda Dissanayake – Minister for Solar Power and Energy, SL

H.E Mrs Saroja Sirisena, Sri Lankan High Commissioner

Mr. Samantha Pathirana – Deputy High Commissioner

Prof. Mark Sutton, Director – INMS

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon  – Minister South Asia – FCDO

Mr. Lalith Weeratunga  – Private Secretary to H. E. President of Sri Lanka

Dr. Anil Jasinghe – Secretary – Ministry of Environment, Sri Lanka

Prof. Michael Eddleston – Sri Lanka Hon Consul in Scotland

APSL representatives managed to have in depth discussions with many of the above individuals about the work  of APSL and in particular the Solar Village project which goes in line and supports the COP26 agenda and aims. In particular on discussion with H.E Gotabaya Rajapaksha he reviewed with us the concept of Solar Villages and other work of APSL.  They also had separate discussions with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, Hon. Prof. G.L Peiris about APSL projects.