[{"bbox": [83, 106, 1145, 159], "category": "Text", "text": "in this area. A previous SWITCH Asia project supported the establishment of the Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Policy, but implementation is lagging."}, {"bbox": [83, 171, 1145, 278], "category": "Text", "text": "Sri Lanka's NDCs along with other government priorities and commitments to implementing the Paris Agreements notably the National Adaption Plan 2016-2025, are an opportunity to promote a green transition by supporting to investments in green infrastructure, promoting sustainable production and consumption patterns while protecting the rich marine and land biodiversity which is nevertheless under threat."}, {"bbox": [83, 289, 1145, 344], "category": "Text", "text": "Sri Lanka adopted a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSA) in 2016 but the impact of human activities, essentially in terms of farming and fishery, and NBSA's implementation remain major challenges."}, {"bbox": [83, 355, 1145, 409], "category": "Text", "text": "The action will contribute to progress on a number of Sustainable Development Goals and consequent fulfilment of economic and social rights, and gender equality, in line with Sri Lanka's international human rights commitments."}, {"bbox": [83, 421, 1145, 660], "category": "Text", "text": "In the most recent voluntary national review of the status of implementing the SDGs (in 2018) SDG 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, Sri Lanka has made notable achievements in its path towards becoming a resilient society, including the high coverage of water supply from safe sources and sanitation facilities, near universal electrification, and increasing the share of population living in permanent houses. There is growing national interest in sustainable consumption and production patterns. Sri Lanka is also endowed with a rich profile of biodiversity, also in relation to its seas, that has led the country to being identified among the 35 global biodiversity hotspots. However, the growing dependence on fossil fuel imports for transportation and energy supply, increasing vulnerability of urban centres and communities to disaster risks and the degradation of forest and land resources pose challenges on the path to resilience."}, {"bbox": [83, 672, 1145, 779], "category": "Text", "text": "The EU focus on themes related to the European Green Deal and on European Investment Plan (EIP) operations in Sri Lanka have been to large extent limited in previous periods. With small and fragmented EU interventions rarely underpinned by an effective sectoral policy dialogue and/or public diplomacy, the EU was not able to achieve its transformative ambitions in partner countries."}, {"bbox": [83, 790, 1145, 924], "category": "Text", "text": "Under the Multiannual Indicative Programme (MIP) for Sri Lanka, the EU intends to allocate more funding to leverage investment in key green infrastructures, support small and medium size enterprises that have the ambition to convert to more sustainable business practices (in terms of production, supply chains, jobs, ...) and engage more actively in other climate change actions and biodiversity protection with authorities and population. An enhanced EU green diplomacy and policy dialogue with the different public and private stakeholders will be essential."}, {"bbox": [83, 936, 1145, 1095], "category": "Text", "text": "The ambitious objectives in Sri Lanka will not only require large public investments in greener infrastructures to improve the living conditions of the population but also transformative policy reforms (for sectoral and cross-cutting policies) and investment from and for the private sector to adopt more sustainable consumption and production practices through the adoption of management systems and technologies. Sri Lanka is in a critical fiscal situation that will require more flexible, concessional and innovative financing as a response. Incentivizing the financial sector to invest in greener, more sustainable and climate-resilient assets will also be a key success factor."}, {"bbox": [83, 1107, 1145, 1185], "category": "Text", "text": "The digital transformation of the economy and innovative technologies will be essential and will offer opportunities to introduce more efficient business processes and operations, reducing the unnecessary and unsustainable depletion of scarce natural and finite resources."}, {"bbox": [83, 1199, 1145, 1412], "category": "Text", "text": "All the above will however require a skilled population where Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET will be essential. Engaging with youth, women and groups that are living in vulnerable situations (particularly persons with disabilities, minorities, internally displaced people (IDPs) and refugees) and offering them equal treatment and opportunities in an inclusive manner will be crucial. The Facility will integrate initiatives such as the Youth Sounding Board into the policy dialogue as well as the commitments of the EU Gender Action Plan III (GAP III) at all levels of the action. The action may contribute particularly to the EU GAP III thematic areas of engagement: 1) Promoting economic and social rights and empowering girls and women; and 2) Addressing the challenges and harnessing the opportunities offered by the green transition and the digital transformation."}, {"bbox": [83, 1424, 1145, 1479], "category": "Text", "text": "Therefore, in order to develop the various dimensions of a green economy, the EU will have to leverage its support by engaging more actively with the authorities, civil society and private sector in a coordinated manner."}, {"bbox": [83, 1571, 325, 1602], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2.2. Problem Analysis"}, {"bbox": [1051, 1663, 1157, 1687], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 5 of 23"}]