(Originally published on 09/28/2016)

Pakistan, 5-9 September- Representatives from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) China office and the Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH) led a Chinese delegation, consisting of researchers from China’s Academy of Fiscal Sciences (CAFS) and Hebei Research Institute of Fiscal Sciences (HRIFS), to Pakistan from 5 - 9 September, 2016. The primary aim of the mission was to share knowledge on how to systematically estimate the size of public expenditure on climate change related activities and how this information can help integrate climate change considerations into the budget planning process. The visit was affiliated with one of the flagship research projects initiated by United Nations Development Program (UNDP), termed Climate Public Expenditure Institutional Review (CPEIR).

During the trip, the delegation visited the Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD), Pakistan’s leading think tank, which is responsible for Pakistan’s CPEIR project. Through in-depth discussions with experts at LEAD, the delegation learnt in depth CPEIR’s objective, components and methodology, as well as its application in Pakistan’s context. Meanwhile, CAFS shared China’s progress on CPEIR research and preliminary thoughts on how to analyze cost-effectiveness of public expenditure. On this topic, the two sides also discussed existing challenges and possible solutions regarding data accessibility, measurement criteria and time sensitivity. They exchanged further opinions on the impact of climate public spending on poverty alleviation and gender equality.

The delegation also met key policy decision-makers in Pakistan. This included Syed Ghazanfar Abbas Jilani, Additional Finance Secretary of Ministry of Finance (MOF), who provided valuable views on how CPEIR outcomes have been taken up by the government in Pakistan to reflect climate change in budget planning. In addition, the delegation, met representatives from the Ministry of Climate Change and General Accounting Department. As an important part of the trip, the delegation participated in CPEIR Punjab kick-off meeting held by LEAD in Lahore to observe and learn how the research can be conducted at the sub-national level.

As the climate has been increasingly changing globally, combating climate change has become a common target of the entire international community. China has put in place the strategy of ecological civilization, and engaged actively in the fight against climate change to promote sustainable development. In 2016, CAFS, in collaboration with UNDP, started working on the second phase of CPEIR project, after successfully accomplishing the first phase of CPEIR analysis in 2014-2015. CPEIR I established a statistical method to measure China’s climate public expenditure at the central government level. The result was highly endorsed by the government, including MOF and the National Development and Reform Commission. CPEIR II will carry the analysis further to the provincial level, purporting to assess how much is spent on climate change and how effective it is.