In fact, Ranil Wickremesinghe spearheaded the green push during his time as Prime Minister that has led to the fuel crisis currently besieging the pockets of Sri Lankans.

In 2016, Wickremesinghe penned an article for the World Economic Forum entitled "The future of Sri Lanka's economy," in which he laid out Sri Lanka's role in reducing global emissions and transitioning away from fossil fuels.

As per Wickremesinghe's article:

Sri Lanka's cultural traditions are such that respect for the environment is embedded in the psyche of our people. This creates a groundswell of public opinion in favour of sustainable development. In the wake of the Paris Climate Conference, I would like to point out that Sri Lanka is committed to achieving 20% renewable energy usage by 2030, over and above the current 35% of hydropower. Environmental sustainability is central to the country's development plans. At the same time, Sri Lanka is ready to be a constructive partner in global climate negotiations.

Hilariously — or it would be funny if the state of Sri Lanka weren't so tragic — Wickremesinghe penned another article for the WEF in 2018 in which he boasted of the country's progress and stated that he would "make my country rich by 2025."