Countries in South East Asia are already spending significant amounts of their national budgetary resources on climate change-related matters. For example, up to 6.7% of Nepal’s national budget is climate relevant expenditure according to 2012 analysis carried out by UNDP/Overseas Development Institute. However, most countries do not yet have a sufficient understanding of how to track their climate expenditures and lack mechanisms to align domestic resources with international financing sources. Sectors also lack the skills to prepare and justify budgetary submissions to Ministries of Finance that take into account climate-related costs.

UNITAR works with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to strengthen individual skills and institutional capacities for linking climate change policy and public finance in South East Asia. The overall goal is to promote the effective allocation and use of public finance in support of national climate change objectives. Key activities and results are summarized in the project brochure.

As part of the collaboration, UNITAR designed and implemented a regional skills development programme for public sector officials, in collaboration with national and regional training institutions. Subsequently, a series of trainings have been delivered in Cambodia between 2015-2016.

Furthermore, UNITAR developed an online database featuring the curriculum and learning materials used in the trainings as well as a list of regional training institutions. All materials in the tool are free-of-charge and available here.