Despite global momentum toward green development, many developing countries continue to face persistent implementation challenges, noted Ms. Chamindry Saparamadu, Executive Director of DevPro Sri Lanka and former Director General of the Sustainable Development Council of Sri Lanka. She made these remarks at a high-level regional dialogue hosted by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Shanghai, China, last week.
Organised in partnership with the Chinese Academy for International Trade and Economic Cooperation (CAITEC), the event brought together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders from across Asia. The meeting focused on evolving green transformation policy agendas, regional cooperation, and strategic implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs). Sri Lanka participated in the dialogue for the first time.
Representing Sri Lanka, Ms. Saparamadu and Indika Premarathne, Additional Director General of the National Planning Department, shared insights on the country’s ongoing efforts and the hurdles it faces in achieving green growth.
“While many positive efforts have been made—such as the development of policy frameworks and roadmaps—significant gaps remain in financing green priorities due to constrained fiscal space and limited access to low-cost financing,” Ms. Saparamadu explained. “Additional challenges include capacity gaps, a multitude of incoherent policies and institutions, and inadequate availability, reliability, and accessibility of climate data.”
The dialogue is part of an ongoing UNCTAD-led initiative launched in 2022 titled, Integrated Policy Strategies and Regional Policy Coordination for Resilient, Green and Transformative Development. The project aims to support selected Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries—namely Turkey, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Pakistan—in crafting coherent strategies to achieve green industrial development and meet relevant SDGs.
Key components of the project include developing integrated national policies, strengthening institutional capacities, encouraging South-South cooperation, and improving regional policy coordination.
A major highlight of the event was the official launch of the Asia Green Development Partnership Network (AGDPN). This multi-stakeholder initiative seeks to promote policy research dissemination and foster practical cooperation across the region in the fields of green development and economic diversification.
The regional meeting welcomed participants from UNCTAD, CAITEC, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), and officials and experts from China, Malaysia, Pakistan, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Indonesia, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
The inclusion of Sri Lanka marks a significant step toward deeper regional integration and collaborative efforts to address the urgent challenges of sustainable development and climate resilience in Asia.
Ceylon Today