Sri Lanka to cease building new coal-fired power plants

Sri Lanka will cease building new coal-fired power plants and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said in an address to the UN International Energy Forum.

Sri Lanka has set a target of achieving 70% of all its energy requirements from renewable sources by 2030.
“Sri Lanka is happy to be a co-lead of the Energy Compact for No New Coal Power,” Rajapaksa said.

Governments including Sri Lanka, Chile, Denmark, France, Germany, Montenegro, and the UK have announced a No New Coal Power Compact to halt the construction of coal-fired power plants, according to climate advocacy group Sustainable Energy for All.

“Our aim is to transition away from fossil fuels, promote de-carbonization, and make Sri Lanka a carbon neutral country by 2050,” he said.