CareEdge Advisory, in partnership with The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and DevPro, hosted a high-level roundtable in Sri Lanka focused on “Advancing Sustainability Readiness: IFRS Reporting, Sustainable Finance & Carbon Markets.” The event brought together representatives from government, regulatory bodies, financial institutions, listed companies, development organisations and industry to discuss the country’s evolving sustainability landscape.
The roundtable opened with welcome remarks from Shiran Fernando, CEO of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, followed by opening remarks from Chamindry Saparamadu, Executive Director of DevPro.
Swati Agrawal, CEO of CareEdge Advisory, highlighted the increasing importance of sustainability as a strategic business priority. She noted that sustainability considerations are increasingly influencing business resilience, competitiveness, access to capital and long-term value creation.
Sri Lanka Strengthens Sustainable Finance Ecosystem
The keynote address by Punyamali Saparamadu, Senior Vice President, Colombo Stock Exchange, highlighted Sri Lanka’s progress in developing its sustainable finance ecosystem.
The discussion covered initiatives including the Sustainable Finance Roadmap, Green Finance Taxonomy, sustainability reporting, and Green, Social, Sustainability and Sustainability-Linked (GSS+) Bonds. These initiatives are contributing to the development of a stronger framework for sustainable investment and responsible capital allocation in Sri Lanka.
Focus on IFRS Reporting, Sustainable Finance and Carbon Markets
The technical session was led by Kedar Deshpande, ESG Director, CareEdge Advisory, and focused on three key areas:
- IFRS S1 & S2 readiness
- Sustainable finance opportunities
- Carbon credit opportunities in Sri Lanka
The session examined evolving global sustainability requirements and their implications for Sri Lankan businesses, while also exploring practical approaches to strengthen corporate sustainability readiness.
Participants engaged in discussions around implementation challenges, climate finance, carbon market opportunities, policy preparedness and the need for stronger collaboration across Sri Lanka’s sustainability ecosystem.
Sustainability Moves Beyond Compliance
Discussions throughout the roundtable reinforced the growing view that sustainability is no longer simply a compliance requirement. It is increasingly becoming an important component of corporate governance, risk management, access to finance, investor confidence and long-term business value.
Participants highlighted the need to strengthen institutional capabilities, improve sustainability disclosures, mobilise sustainable finance and accelerate policies supporting Sri Lanka’s transition towards a resilient and low-carbon economy.
CareEdge Advisory reaffirmed its commitment to supporting organisations across South Asia through advisory services covering sustainability strategy, ESG integration, climate risk, sustainable finance, carbon markets and sustainability reporting.
The event concluded with a networking session, providing participants with an opportunity to exchange perspectives, build partnerships and explore collaborative initiatives to support Sri Lanka’s continuing sustainability transition.