Speaker of Parliament Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne on Monday (21) endorsed the certificate for the National Environmental (Amendment) Bill, formally bringing the legislation into force after its passage by Parliament.
The measure now takes effect as the National Environmental (Amendment) Act, No. 15 of 2026.
According to a statement issued by the Department of Communication of Parliament, the amendment was introduced in recognition that the existing legal framework is no longer adequate to address current environmental and institutional challenges.
Sri Lanka’s environmental regime has been anchored by the National Environmental Act, No. 47 of 1980, later strengthened by amending Acts No. 56 of 1988 and No. 53 of 2000. Officials say those laws significantly advanced environmental protection but have been outpaced by newer pressures on the country’s ecosystems and regulatory institutions.
The new Act is intended to further strengthen the legal framework for the protection, management and enhancement of the environment, the department said. It also aims to improve regulatory mechanisms relating to waste disposal and to modernise the tools used for environmental protection.
The endorsement completes the legislative process for one of the more substantial updates to Sri Lanka’s core environmental statute in more than two decades, reflecting the government’s stated push to tighten oversight of pollution and waste management.
