UNDP and Brandix partner to promote Sustainable Biomass Energy
COLOMBO – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has partnered with Brandix Apparel Limited to promote renewable energy in Sri Lanka through the facilitation of Model Fuelwood plantations for sustainable energy supply in the country.
The partnership is forged at a time when COVID-19 has led to an unprecedented health and economic crisis, deepening the existing poverty and climate crises.
Change in the people-environment nexus to protect the health of people and natural resources has been identified as key to a future that does not repeat the crisis the world is in today. In this context, clean sustainable energy is being viewed as a means to affordable solutions that are in line with climate targets and can help mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.
Commenting on the partnership, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in Sri Lanka, Faiza Effendi, noted that as nations prepare for the COVID-19 aftermath, there was a tremendous opportunity for a reset, and added that ambitious green recovery plans will help countries restore their economies while deepening their energy transition.
“Now is a good time for Sri Lanka to accelerate a transition to clean energy to sustain a recovery that’s better for all,” she said.
As a clean energy source, sustainable biomass energy has the potential to boost local economies. UNDP, in a statement on Monday (14), said its partnership with Brandix, a leader in apparel manufacturing in Sri Lanka at the forefront of efforts towards sustainability, and a conscientious user of energy, will ensure that Sri Lanka has a low carbon growth whilst enhancing the company’s initiatives towards promoting the use of sustainable biomass energy.
Some of the major initiatives entail assisting suppliers of biomass energy to adopt SLS 1551, a standard for sustainable biomass energy, as well as establishing sustainable fuel wood plantations, it said.
Brandix Group Head of Engineering, Ilthimas Ahamed said the company, in line with its journey towards achieving Net Zero Carbon status by 2023 across all its manufacturing locations in Sri Lanka, has converted all furnace oil fired boilers to biomass boilers with the expectation of making available sustainably sourced biomass for its renewable energy demand. The partnership with UNDP he said also reaffirms Brandix as the first corporate entity to step forward in its efforts to ensure that the biomass used by Brandix is responsibly sourced from certified suppliers under SLS 1551.
He also assured that an extension, Brandix will continue to engage its Associates to take part in the UNDP energy plantation program across the country via a home garden concept, thus paving way for them to enhance their livelihoods while being active participants in our Sustainability agenda.
Sustainable energy is readily available, affordable, and reliable. However, in many developing economies, the potential for large scale renewable energy remains largely untapped. Investments in this area can help Sri Lanka and other countries reap the full development and climate benefits of clean energy ahead of the 2030 Sustainable Development agenda.
-ENCL/UNDP