A hardy group of sustainability enthusiasts and business leaders gathered for Asia's first Climate Cocktail Club hosted in Colombo by The Carbon Consulting Company and Sanith de Silva Wijeyeratne Sri Lanka's new Chapter Head.
The evening focused on inspiration and networking. The inspiration provided by a honorary keynote from Prof. Mohan Munasinghe, Vice-Chair of the IPCC which won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. Outlining the urgent need for immediate and dramatic decarbonisation of the global economy, Prof. Munasinghe called on Sri Lanka's business community to take the lead in the region and for the government to pursue a balanced development path.
"We will follow the middle path based on balanced inclusive green growth"
Tom Popple, Senior Manager, Climate Change & Sustainability for Natural Capital Partners, followed, showcasing their work on Imprinting Net Zero from a series of Talanoa Dialogues delivered as part of a UNFCCC initiative. Outlining that businesses can play a critical role in addressing climate change by becoming carbon neutral, also reaping a range of benefits for the company.
"Sri Lankan businesses have a unique opportunity to take the lead in Asia and create a profitable green economy built on net zero emissions"
The next Colombo Climate Cocktail Club is being planned - keep up to date via the events page.