
Mohan MunasingheMunasinghe Institute for Development | MIND · Chairman's Office
Mohan Munasinghe
PhD
About
509
Publications
276,675
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Introduction
Chairman, Munasinghe Inst. for Development, Colombo; Blue Planet Prize Laureate 2021; Vice Chair of UN Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-AR4) who shared the 2007 Nobel Prize for Peace; Hon. Senior Advisor to Govt. of Sri Lanka; Distinguished Guest Prof., Peking Univ.
For details, see personal website: http://www.mohanmunasinghe.com/default.cfm
Additional affiliations
September 2013 - August 2015
June 2011 - October 2014
August 2010 - July 2013
Education
September 1972 - June 1974
September 1970 - June 1973
September 1967 - June 1968
Publications
Publications (509)
This state-of-the art paper sets out recent developments in the engineering-economic analysis of electric power systems, especially the formulation of optimal investment and pricing policies. The basic economic principle is that electricity services should be provided in a manner which maximizes the net benefits of consumption of society as a whole...
Paper was originally presented at 1992 UN Rio Earth Summit. How can countries safeguard natural resources for future generations as they strive to reduce poverty with economic growth. Environmental Economics and Sustainable Development discusses practical options to reconcile these multiple environmental, economic and social goals. It explains how...
This book provides a rigorous and practical analysis of sustainable development prospects today by applying the innovative sustainomics framework. Developed by the eminent environmental scientist Mohan Munasinghe, sustainomics explores the practical steps in making the transition from the risky business-as-usual scenario to a safe and sustainable f...
Climate change and variability has become the primary environmental concern of the twenty –first century; the potential impacts and mitigation of climate change need to be analysed within the context of sustainable development. How does climate change effect sustainable development prospects? How can climate change response measures best be incorpo...
In applying the innovative ‘sustainomics’ framework and identifying the balanced inclusive green growth (BIGG) path to achieve sustainability, this book provides a rigorous and practical analysis of sustainable development today. Developed and applied globally over the past twenty-five years by world renowned multi-disciplinary expert Mohan Munasin...
This paper explains why cities are the ideal starting point for implementing smart, sustainable, low-C development (SSLCD) using digital technology and green infrastructure (especially power), because they account for almost 75% of global energy consumption and 70% of GHG emissions. For many decades, national level leaders have not been able to del...
To celebrate its 50th Anniversary, Concordia University honoured 50 alumni as Great Concordians. This interview describes Prof. Munasinghe's education and career choices that have led him to his current position. He provides frank and helpful advice on a wide variety of topics. They range from how to address major global issues (especially sustaina...
History of the Sri Lanka Energy Managers Association (SLEMA), 1984-2024. Compiled by members, based on past records and interviews with senior members, including the Founder-President Mohan Munasinghe and Founder-Secretary Tilak Siyambalapitiya.
Explains how attitudes to climate change are evolving and the importance of the four principles of Sustainomics, including “balancing the sustainable development triangle” of economics, social and environmental concerns, and the balanced inclusive green growth (BIGG) path.
In Chapter 13 of the book Saving the Planet, Professor Mohan Munasinghe, 2021 Blue Planet Prize Laureate and co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize for Peace, was identified among 28 top global environmentalists who are saving the planet, including fellow Nobel Prize winners Wangari Maathai and Al Gore, the legendary Rachel Carson, Jacques Cousteau, and...
Explains concept of Sustainomics in simple terms that schoolchildren could grasp. The 2023 Blue Planet Prize was awarded to Professor Mohan Munasinghe for proposing this approach that helps to build a sustainable society with no poverty, inequality, or overuse of resources. The four key principles of Sustainomics are described:
1. Harmonize economy...
The sustainomics framework identifies Balanced Inclusive Green Growth (BIGG) paths which will simultaneously address climate change issues and other sustainable development problems included within the 17 SDG, like poverty, hunger and sickness. First, we can be more effective by integrating climate adaptation and mitigation policies fully into over...
Describes progress towards building a consensus on implementing solutions to climate change and sustainable development, based on a keynote speech delivered at the Hegra Nobel Laureates Summit, convened in June 2022 under the patronage of the Saudi Royal Commission for AlUla, at the UNESCO world heritage site in AlUla, Saudi Arabia.
Describes how LECO was created and its leadership was selected in 1983, to ensure success in managing local authority urban distribution networks.
The global community needs to urgently and effectively address two major challenges of the 21 st century-sustainable development (SD) and climate change (CC). We already face formidable development problems like poverty, inequality, hunger, sickness, and water and energy scarcities. Emerging issues like COVID-19 continue to pose further risks. Clim...
Keynote speech by Prof. Mohan Munasinghe to Alumni of Cambridge University, reported in the Financial Times, Sri Lanka. Describes Sustainomics transdisciplinary framework to achiev sustainable development, while addressing climate change, Covid19, and othersustainable development goals (SDG)
This elegant volume is a valuable historical record of the early development of digital technology (information and computer technology - ICT) in Sri Lanka -- especially the way in which the government sector entered the ICT arena. The Computer and Information Technology Council of Sri Lanka (CINTEC), the first Government apex body on ICT, was esta...
In a candid interview with the Daily Mirror, Prof. Munasinghe shared his thoughts about impacts of climate change, sustainable development, post-pandemic recovery, and his vision for Sri Lanka. He also explained some of the innovative concepts he has developed, for which he received the coveted 2021 Blue Planet prize. For his pioneering work on sus...
This paper provides an overview of the Ambio Special Issue focused on the social and environmental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how society can best adapt to future conditions. The collection of five articles in this special section called “The world after COVID-19: Early lessons” covers several perspectives that need wider exposure, offer...
This Special Section of Ambio, Guest Edited by Jeffrey McNeeley and Mohan Munasinghe focuses on the social
and environmental impacts of the pandemic, and how society can best adapt to future conditions. The collection
of five articles covers several perspectives that need wider exposure, offers some new approaches that could have global relevance,...
Mohan Munasinghe explains balanced inclusive green growth (BIGG), especially why green and sustainable growth is essential, and furthermore the BIGG path cannot ignore social concerns. The sustainomics framework for making development more sustainable can be applied to capitalist, socialist or mixed economies.
https://premionacionalsustentabilidad...
Overview and highlights of full paper: "COVID-19 and Sustainable Development".
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347732245_COVID-19_and_sustainable_development
Interview with Amorim News Magazine. Mohan Munasinghe, co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, is one of the world’s leading authorities on climate change. In an exclusive interview, the physicist, academic and economist from Sri Lanka argues that combatting climate change must be integrated within the sustainable development strategies of companies. T...
Interview by Amorim News Magazine - Part 1. Author explains that climate change and sustainable development cannot be considered in isolation. He compares the path towards a sustainable society to climbing a mountain – achieved in stages, one step at a time.
Interview with Amorim News Magazine - Part 2. Author warns of global unsustainability including the impact of climate change, and the need to focus on solutions. This article explores the path of sustainable innovation and key role of sustainable production using advanced methods like value chain, life cycle analyses.
Paper presented at the international experts webinar on “Sustainability after COVID-19: Public policies for inclusive green growth”, organized by the Green Growth Knowledge Platform (GGKP) in April 2020. The coronavirus is changing the world around us, with long-term consequences for how we behave and organize our future activities. The sustainable...
The well-known Sustainomics framework, originally proposed at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, addresses sustainable development problems globally. It has four core principles that have relevance for corporate sustainability, going beyond usual corporate social responsibility (ie., CSR+). First, everyone should be empowered to make developm...
This perspective article examines the current sustainable development framework in the context of COVID-19, and argues that it is robust enough to face multiple long-term global challenges including pandemics, poverty and climate change. COVID-19 highlights major existing unsustainabilities, including unhealthy interactions between ecological and s...
This bibliography on sustainable development (with special emphasis placed on Sustainomics), is a starting point designed to help my students and other researchers who face the formidable task of sifting through the enormous literature on the subject, and identifying the most relevant articles in their focus area. For greater convenience, the refer...
Prof. Munasinghe describes how the Nobel Prize changed some aspects of his life. While it was unexpected but gratifying, the award enhanced his global profile and provided a platform to share his views on sustainable development and climate change. It was challenging to re-balance his time more sustainably and productively among research, public ap...
See related entry: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/38992863_Rural_electrification_for_development_policy_analysis_and_applications
Sustainability in the Twenty-First Century - by Mohan Munasinghe May 2019
Chapter 10 in Sustainability in the Twenty-First Century - by Mohan Munasinghe. This chapter applies the sustainomics framework to the energy sector (sustainable development goals 7 and 9). Section 10.2 reviews energy development issues and status. In Section 10.3, a comprehensive and integrated framework for sustainable energy development (SED) is...
Chapter 8 in Sustainability in the Twenty-First Century - by Mohan Munasinghe. This chapter expands on the generic results of Chapter 7 by exploring two different theoretical approaches to making development more sustainable (MDMS) at the national macroeconomic level (sustainable development goals [SDGs] 1, 8, 10, 13 and 15), and help to find the b...
Chapter 9 in Sustainability in the Twenty-First Century - by Mohan Munasinghe. In this chapter, two case studies demonstrate the use of computable general equilibrium (CGE) models to analyze economywide sustainable development issues (sustainable development goals 1, 8, 10, 13 and 15), and explore economic–social–environmental links on balanced inc...
Chapter 7 in Sustainability in the Twenty-First Century - by Mohan Munasinghe May 2019. In this chapter, the sustainomics framework is used to study the powerful and widespread social and environmental impacts of economywide policies (sustainable development goals [SDGs] 1, 8, 10, 13 and 15) and help to find the balanced inclusive green growth (BIG...
Chapter 4 in Sustainability in the Twenty-First Century - by Mohan Munasinghe. This chapter provides an in-depth discussion of the linkages between the environmental and socioeconomic domains of sustainable development, institutional settings and key role of social values, and ends with an introduction to environmental (EA) and social (SA) assessme...
Chapter 3 in Sustainability in the Twenty-First Century - by Mohan Munasinghe. This chapter explores how economics relates to environmental (and related social) concerns. Section 3.2 outlines how human activity harms the environment, while environmental degradation impedes economic development. Sections 3.3 and 3.4 expand on economic cost–benefit a...
Chapter 13 in Sustainability in the Twenty-First Century - by Mohan Munasinghe. This chapter describes sustainomics applications to two main types of land use and ecological systems – forests (natural ecosystems) and agriculture (managed ecosystems) (sustainable development goals [SDGs] 2 and 15). Section 13.2 describes the underlying reasons for d...
Chapter 11 in Sustainability in the Twenty-First Century - by Mohan Munasinghe. This chapter continues our coverage of sustainomics applications to economic infrastructure sectors, focusing on transport (including fuel pricing policy) (sustainable development goals 9 and 11). Section 11.2 reviews generic priorities for sustainable transport and dis...
Chapter 2 in Sustainability in the Twenty-First Century - by Mohan Munasinghe. In this chapter, the elements of the sustainomics framework are set out in greater detail. Section 2.2 describes the fundamental principles and methods. Sustainable development, traditional development and growth are defined. A practical approach based on making developm...
Chapter 15 in Sustainability in the Twenty-First Century - by Mohan Munasinghe. Applications of the sustainomics approach to specific projects and business activities are illustrated in this chapter. In Sections 15.2 and 15.3, the sustainable energy development (SED) framework applied at the sector level (see Chapter 10) is extended and used to eva...
Chapter 5 in Sustainability in the Twenty-First Century - by Mohan Munasinghe. In this chapter, applications of key elements of the sustainomics framework and balanced inclusive green growth (BIGG) path are illustrated through several examples dealing with two critical global problems – climate change (sustainable development goal 13) and sustainab...
Chapter 14 in Sustainability in the Twenty-First Century - by Mohan Munasinghe May 2019. This chapter concludes our focus on policy applications of sustainomics by examining sustainable pricing of natural resources like energy and water within a national economy (sustainable development goals 1, 6, 7 and 10). Both renewable and nonrenewable resourc...
Chapter 12 in Sustainability in the Twenty-First Century - by Mohan Munasinghe. In this chapter, we examine how sustainomics principles may be applied to develop and manage water resources more sustainably (sustainable development goal [SDG] 6). Section 12.2 describes the natural hydrological cycle and how interventions have affected it. Water and...
Chapter 16 in Sustainability in the Twenty-First Century - by Mohan Munasinghe. In this chapter, we use the sustainomics framework to analyze more localized events like hazards and disasters, as well as to assess the sustainability of human habitats and urban areas (sustainable development goals 9 and 11). Section 16.2 describes how the harmful imp...
Chapter 6 in Sustainability in the Twenty-First Century - by Mohan Munasinghe. This chapter focus on participatory-consultative processes relating to social sustainability, including case studies on global multistakeholder, multilevel, transdisciplinary dialogues that are crucial for the balanced inclusive green growth (BIGG) path. Section 6.2 desc...
Describes Sri Lanka's vision and balanced inclusive green growth (BIGG) strategic pathway to sustainable development by 2030. It is a contribution to the United Nations 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals. The holistic, integrated and practical volume, prepared by the Presidential Expert Commission (PEC) chaired by Mohan Munasinghe, expla...
This paper is an evidenced-based analysis of sustainability (based on carbon, energy, blue-water, labour and economic footprints) of crude palm oil (CPO) production in Pará, Brazil. It includes cradle to gate value/supply chain-based life cycle analysis (LCA), a socio-economic analysis of small holder farmers in Para; and a discussion on how operat...
Links the strategic national master plan prepared by the Presidential Expert Committee (PEC): "Sustainable Sri Lanka 2030 Vision & Strategic Path" to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and 2030 Agenda, and highlights Sri Lanka's development priorities.
This conference proceedings focuses on sustainable management of the resources of the Indian Ocean around Sri Lanka, as an important element of the national sustainable development strategy. The international conference was organised jointly by the Munasinghe Institute for Development (MIND) Colombo, The School of Advanced Studies (SOAS), UK, and t...
A high powered panel of 7 Nobel Prize Laureates from all over the world was convened by Wechijin Group, China, to explain their vision of the future at the 2018 Earth Civilization Summit. The panel included Mohan Munasinghe (Peace), Edvard Moser (Physiology & Medicine), Shuji Nakamura (Physics), Alvin Roth (Economics), Danny Schechtman (Chemistry),...
Fujian Normal University held its 110th Anniversary Celebrations and also organised the International Forum on the Green Silk Road. In his keynote speeches at these two major events, Prof. Munasinghe describes how the Sustainaomics framework for making development more sustainable shows us the balanced inclusive green growth (BIGG) pathway to susta...
The clean, efficient and optimal use of our global natural base, including air, land and water, has emerged as an area of universal concern during recent decades. Pollution and depletion of water resources is a major issue in terms of global impact. Managing the environment provides an effective way of addressing this critical issue, beyond traditi...
Web References
1. http://www.ict-history.lk/prof-mohan-munasinghe/ : Article
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKLIyeG4KbI : Video interview
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEdBxiK4bSE : Website Launch - News First TV Video
This evidence based study uses combined lifecycle and value/supply chain analysis to examine the sustainability (environmental, social and economic impacts) of tea manufacturing in Sri Lanka, a major export earner and employment creating product. Environmental indicators assessed include carbon emissions and energy use, social indicators include la...
This paper seeks to link transport issues to the broader context of global sustainable development. It explains how to find integrated solutions to major problems of sustainable development of the 21 st century, especially transport. Sustainable transport planning (STP) along the Balanced Inclusive Green Growth (BIGG) path is the key to win-win sol...
Nobel prize co-laureate Prof. Mohan Munasinghe’s TED talk, delivered in Guimaraes, Portugal on 3 June 2017, addresses balanced inclusive green growth (BIGG), responsible consumption and sustainomics. It focuses on the key scientific issues that relate to the main themes: sustainability, clean environment, social harmony and economic growth, and exp...
Nobel Keynote Lecture delivered at the Fourth Water Economics Forum on Water and Sustainability in Barcelona, Spain, by Prof. Mohan Munasinghe. He links water issues to the broader context of global sustainable development, and explains how to find integrated solutions to major problems of sustainable development that we face in the 21st century, e...
Sri Lanka's physicist, engineer and economist Prof. Mohan Munasinghe was vice chairman of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) who shared the Nobel Prize in 2007 with Al Gore. As a development expert, Munasinghe is critical that the Paris Agreement against warming is not being adequately implemented. He warns that warming will...
This project demonstrates the government's commitment to strengthen national unity, reconciliation, peace and harmony. It delivers many benefits, including drinking water, irrigation facilities and power, shared among all communities in the North-Central, Northern, Eastern and North-Western provinces. It also symbolizes the spirit of multi-party co...
Explains application of the balanced sustainable development triangle in an emerging economy like Sri Lanka.
Opening Plenary Keynote Speech
Sustainable water resources management – key to tackling climate change and driving sustainable human development in South Asia and Sri Lanka
Personal Interview with renowned European journalist CONNY BISCHOFBERGER
The "Pope of Sustainability" visits Austria – A rendezvous with Nobel Peace Prize co-winner Prof.Mohan Munasinghe
This 657 page updated third edition provides a comprehensive, rigorous and practical framework for making development more sustainable by applying the innovative sustainomics methodology. The book has been used in university courses worldwide, and applied in many countries. The author explains the key principles clearly, concisely and free of jargo...
Paper presents the carbon and energy footprint of a bra, manufactured in Sri Lanka based on life cycle analysis under PAS 2050 standards. Carbon footprint of the product is 1.37 kgCO2e and energy footprint is 7.05 MJ. Highest contribution (61%) of carbon emission comes from raw material production. Therefore, sustainable procurement policies are cr...
Interview on issues relating to 21st Century Eco-Civilization and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources
This volume contains papers by internationally renowned authorities from academia, business and civil society addressing the key issues of sustainability. The chapters are transcribed and fully updated versions of speeches originally presented at the Symposium on Sustainable Development: New Dimensions for Society and Business held in June 2012 in...
Balanced inclusive green growth (BIGG) is achieved by applying the Sustainomics transdisciplinary framework for making development more sustainable. The BIGG path provides a road map to prepare an integrated and comprehensive national sustainable development strategy and policy plan.
YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioZg6h7GuGc
In 2010, Mohan Munasinghe advocated that governments commit to Millennial Consumption Goals (MCGs) - a set of targets he developed to meet the basic needs of the poor while curbing over-consumption of scarce natural resources, particularly by the rich. He argued that one can actually be better off, healthier and happier with less consumption. And i...
DOI: 10.1142/9789814546898_0034
Sustainable development and climate change are the two major global challenges. Developmental problems such as poverty are already formidable. Climate change is the ultimate risk multiplier, also exacerbating the other crises. Its worst impacts fall on the poor who are least responsible for the problem. The world currently faces multiple economic,...
This study titled, “Climate Risks in the Region: ways to comprehensively address the related social, economic and environmental challenges”, was commissioned by the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Secretariat following the Thimphu Statement on Climate Change adopted by the Heads of State or Government of Member States of SA...
Following the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, and the 2012 Rio+20 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, sustainable development has become a widely accepted concept. World decision makers are seeking a more sustainable development path through the ongoing UN Post-2105 Agenda di...
This article explains how the functioning of property rights regimes in relation to human use of the environment, is critical to the design and implementation of sustainable environmental management measures. Humans interact with their environment through systems of property rights and governance (that are embedded in social, political, cultural, a...
Mohan Munasinghe visited Copenhagen where he called for more accountability in business and warned leaders that the elites will also lose out in a global world crisis.
http://cms.ifa.de/pub/kulturaustausch/archiv/ausgaben-2013/zukunft/kreislaufwirtschaft/
This book explains the practical path towards making development more sustainable, using the sustainable development triangle and the sustainomics framework that Mohan Munasinghe proposed during the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio. Twenty years later, in the run up to the 2012 Rio+20 Earth Summit, this approach has become widely accepted and is taught in...
Sustainomusica is an international consortium of musicians and music lovers who believe that music and the arts constitute a universal language that can be used effectively to communicate the message of sustainability to everyone on the planet. This new music of sustainability will appeal to the heart, especially to empower and motivate young peopl...
Professor Mohan Munasinghe talks during Oikos International Video Interview, about the Higgs boson, sustainable consumption &
production (SCP), greening the economy, and alternative accounting measures.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04laIYSQ0Uo
Nobel prize winning expert urges business and civil society to push government to take action before it si too late to save our planet
Prof. Munasinghe explains how Brazil has a chance to change the environmental agenda before 'falling off the cliff'
Questions
Questions (2)
I have identical entries for the same book that was re-issued recently by a different publisher. How do I merge them without necessarily deleting one or the other?
1. is a new e-book. (Routledge/Taylor and Francis)
2. is the original paperback (Westview Press).
Thanks.