The Cabinet of Ministers gave approval for a proposal made by President Maithripala Sirisena, in his capacity as the Minister of Mahaweli Development and Environment, to ratify the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The Paris Agreement on Climate Change was signed by 178 countries including Sri Lanka at the UN headquarters on 02 April 2016.

It expects to minimize the impact and risk of climate change though maintaining the general global warming less than 2 Celsius Degrees and by not exceeding 1.5 Celsius Degrees as much as possible. Sri Lanka has been identified by the agreement as an island state that faces the impacts of climate changes such as prolong droughts, flash floods, rise in the sea level, landslides, and inundation of lowlands.