Dr. Manoj Thibbotuwawa Highlights the Importance of the Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review (CPEIR) in Aligning Sri Lanka’s Public Finance with Climate Goals

26 March 2025

The Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review (CPEIR) is a crucial tool for Sri Lanka to align public finance with climate goals, ensuring efficient resource use for mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage, said IPS Research Fellow and Head of Agricultural Economic Policy, Dr. Manoj Thibbotuwawa. He further added that it enhances climate-responsive budgeting, strengthens institutional coordination, and improves transparency and accountability in climate spending.

He made these observations during a panel discussion on the ‘Role of Public Finance in Climate Action’ at the Climate Finance Network (CFN) forum on “Validation of Climate Finance Strategy (CFS), Climate Public Expenditure & Institutional Review (CPEIR) Typology & Introduction to Climate Budget Tagging (CBT)”. The forum was hosted jointly by the Ministry of Finance, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the British High Commission in Sri Lanka on 26 March 2025.

The session featured insights from prominent experts, including: Mr. M.J.M Ifam, Director, National Budget Department; Mr. T.M.D.P. Tennakoon, Director, National Budget Department; Dr. Buddhika Hapuarachchi, Programme Policy Specialist & Team Lead, UNDP; and Mr. Asad Maken, Public Climate Finance Advisor, Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, UNDP. Ms. Sugandhi Samarasinghe, National Project Coordinator – Climate Action at UNDP moderated the session.

Dr. Thibbotuwawa also delivered a presentation on the CPEIR typology development process. The event was attended by key experts, policymakers, researchers, academics, NGOs, development organisations, civil society representatives, and private sector stakeholders.