BBC World Programme interviews Prof Mohan Munasinghe, former Vice Chair of UN IPCC, on Climate Change in Sri Lanka
Professor Mohan Munasinghe, formerly Vice Chair of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), was recently interviewed by The BBC Global Questions Program and responded to audience questions during a live panel session recorded on 13 January 2023.
He explained how the best option would be to integrate climate change solutions within an overall sustainable development strategy, with youth playing a key role. This was also set out in the ‘Sustainable Sri Lanka 2030 Vision’ report issued in 2019 by the Presidential Expert Committee, which he chaired. He emphasized the importance of ‘climate justice’, since global warming was caused primarily by greenhouse gas emissions of rich countries, whereas the main harmful impacts would fall disproportionately on the poor countries. He mentioned that under the ‘Loss and Damage’ Fund concept agreed at COP27 in Egypt in 2022, the rich countries would owe the poor countries an ‘environmental debt’ estimated at US$47 trillion, based on past excess GHG emissions. This was over four times the US$11 trillion financial debt owed by the poor countries (including Sri Lanka), which therefore should be written off immediately.
The 30 Minute Program will be telecast worldwide by BBC World TV, as follows:
Sat. 21 Jan.
01:30 & 15:30 (UK time)
07:00 & 21:00 (Sri Lanka time)
12:30 & 02:30 (22 Jan Melbourne time )
Sun. 22 Jan.
09:30 & 20:30 (UK time)
15:00 & 02:00 (23 Jan. SL time)
20.30 & 07.30 ( 23 Jan Melbourne time )
