The Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, has today (21) endorsed the certificate for the National Environmental (Amendment) Bill, which was passed by Parliament.
Although the National Environmental Act, No. 47 of 1980, together with the National Environmental (Amendment) Acts, No. 56 of 1988 and No. 53 of 2000, significantly strengthened environmental protection, this amendment was introduced in recognition of the fact that the existing legal framework is no longer adequate to address current environmental and institutional challenges, according to a statement issued by the Department of Communication of Parliament.
The Act is intended to further strengthen the legal framework for the protection, management, and enhancement of the environment, improve regulatory mechanisms relating to waste disposal, and modernize the mechanisms used for environmental protection, it added.
Accordingly, the Bill comes into force as the National Environmental (Amendment) Act, No. 15 of 2026.
