CareEdge Advisory, in partnership with The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and DevPro, convened a high-level roundtable on “Advancing Sustainability Readiness: IFRS Reporting, Sustainable Finance & Carbon Markets” on August 5, 2026, bringing together representatives from government, regulatory bodies, financial institutions, listed companies, development organisations and industry.
The roundtable focused on Sri Lanka’s evolving sustainability landscape and examined how businesses can strengthen their preparedness for emerging sustainability reporting requirements, sustainable finance opportunities and carbon markets.
The event began with welcome remarks by Shiran Fernando, CEO, The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, followed by opening remarks from Chamindry Saparamadu, Executive Director, DevPro.
Setting the context for the discussions, Swati Agrawal, CEO, CareEdge Advisory, highlighted the growing importance of sustainability as a strategic business priority. She emphasised that sustainability is increasingly influencing business resilience, competitiveness, access to capital and long-term value creation.
Sri Lanka Strengthens Sustainable Finance Ecosystem
The keynote address was delivered by Punyamali Saparamadu, Senior Vice President, Colombo Stock Exchange, who highlighted Sri Lanka’s progress in developing its sustainable finance ecosystem.
Her address covered key initiatives including the Sustainable Finance Roadmap, Green Finance Taxonomy, sustainability reporting, and Green, Social, Sustainability and Sustainability-Linked (GSS+) Bonds. These developments are contributing to the country’s efforts to strengthen sustainable investment and financing mechanisms.
Focus on IFRS Sustainability Reporting and Carbon Markets
The technical session was led by Kedar Deshpande, ESG Director, CareEdge Advisory, and focused on three key areas: IFRS S1 and S2 readiness, sustainable finance opportunities, and carbon credit opportunities in Sri Lanka.
The session examined evolving global sustainability requirements and their potential implications for Sri Lankan businesses. It also explored practical approaches organisations can adopt to strengthen sustainability readiness and integrate ESG considerations into business strategy and decision-making.
Participants engaged in an interactive discussion covering implementation challenges, climate finance, carbon market opportunities, policy readiness and the need for stronger collaboration across Sri Lanka’s sustainability ecosystem.
Sustainability Moves Beyond Compliance
Discussions at the roundtable reinforced the growing view that sustainability is no longer limited to regulatory compliance. It is increasingly becoming an important component of corporate governance, risk management, access to finance, investor confidence and long-term business value.
Participants also highlighted the importance of building institutional capabilities, improving sustainability disclosures, mobilising sustainable finance and accelerating policy implementation to support 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 roundtable concluded with a networking session, giving participants an opportunity to exchange perspectives, build partnerships and explore collaborative initiatives supporting Sri Lanka’s sustainability journey.
