• Upeka Thilini Mali on the need for regional involvement ahead of COP 31

Protecting our environment has always been at the forefront of whatever we do. From educating children about climate change to international climate conferences, our environment has always been on our minds. 

In order to share her insights on climate change, an international policy, sustainability activist and impact entrepreneur Upeka Thilini Mali, spoke to The Daily Morning Brunch on the importance of international climate action and on her involvement with the Southeast Asia-South Asia Preparatory Meeting organised by Oxfam, Climate Action Network in Southeast Asia and the Fossil Fuel treaty initiative. The meeting took place in Kuala Lumpur on 25 and 26 March. 

Regional cooperation 

A recent regional dialogue in Malaysia on transitioning away from fossil fuels brought together Government representatives, parliamentarians, NGOs, and civil society actors from South and Southeast Asia. 

The meeting, organised with participation from groups including Oxfam and the Climate Action Network Southeast Asia, focused on climate finance, energy transition and regional cooperation ahead of upcoming UNFCCC negotiations, calling on Governments to address the urgency of sustainable energy sovereignty, and the need for a just, orderly, and equitable transition to renewable energy, including through a Fossil Fuel Treaty – a global framework for international cooperation.

For Thilini Mali, the key issue was not only the scale of climate funding but how it is distributed and accessed.

“Climate finance exists, but the question is who actually receives it and how it is channelled,” she said. “In countries like Sri Lanka, there is very little transparency on how funds move from international institutions to real green projects.”

She added that most climate-related funding in the region is still routed through traditional banking systems, which often lack proper sustainability assessment frameworks.

“In many cases, the people handling these funds do not even understand sustainability. Documents are adjusted just to fit loan requirements, not to ensure real environmental impact,” she said.

A call for fair taxation 

A major point of discussion during the event was whether high-emission and linear economic models should be taxed more heavily to accelerate the shift to circular economies.

Participants argued that fossil fuel-linked industries continue to operate without adequate financial pressure, despite global climate commitments.

 “There is still no proper tax framework that reflects the environmental damage of linear businesses,” Thilini Mali said. “So these industries continue as normal, without any real incentive to change.”

She noted that while circular economy discussions are growing, implementation remains weak without strong fiscal policy backing.

“Circular businesses are being talked about but they are still competing in the same system as highly polluting industries,” she said. “That is not a level playing field.

Civil society groups at the dialogue also stressed the need for stronger regulatory frameworks to ensure that climate finance is not only available but also tied to measurable sustainability outcomes.

A call for transparency

Another major concern raised was the lack of transparency in how global climate funds are distributed across developing countries.

Although institutions are involved in channeling funds toward green initiatives, participants questioned how effectively these funds reach intended beneficiaries.

Upeka pointed to Sri Lanka as an example where visibility remains low.

“There is a lot of talk about green funding coming in, but on the ground, nobody really knows where it is going or how much is actually reaching sustainable enterprises,” she said.

She also highlighted inconsistencies in classification systems used to define ‘green’ or ‘circular’ projects.

“Even when businesses apply for green financing, the evaluation is often weak,” she said. “Sometimes projects that are not truly sustainable still manage to get approved because the system is not strict enough.”

A call for regional coordination

One of the strongest themes emerging from the dialogue was the importance of regional collaboration, particularly in South and Southeast Asia, where climate vulnerability is high but policy alignment is limited.

Participants noted that countries in the region often engage with global climate platforms individually rather than as a unified bloc, weakening their negotiating power and access to funding.

Upeka emphasised that regional coordination could significantly improve outcomes.

“If countries in Asia come together before global climate negotiations, they can present a shared position,” she said. “Right now, everyone is negotiating separately and that weakens us.”

She also supported the idea of pre-negotiation regional meetings in the months leading up to major UN climate conferences, allowing countries to align priorities and strategies in advance.

A call for action

The discussions also highlighted the uneven impact of climate change across the region, with countries like Bangladesh facing some of the most severe consequences due to flooding, displacement, and coastal erosion.

Sri Lanka has also experienced increasingly unpredictable weather patterns and climate-related disruptions, reinforcing the urgency of adaptation planning.

Upeka noted that while smaller island and coastal States are among the most affected, they often have limited influence in global funding decisions.

“Bangladesh is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, yet it is still struggling to access fair and adequate climate finance,” she said. “That imbalance needs to be addressed.”

The dialogue concluded with a shared recommendation for more structured regional engagement before major international climate summits such as the Conference of the Parties (COP). 

Rather than relying solely on annual global negotiations, participants proposed a system of quarterly or biannual regional meetings to track progress, align priorities, and build collective positions.

For Upeka, this approach is essential for making climate finance and policy discussions more effective.

“If we only meet once a year at global conferences, we lose continuity. Regular regional dialogue helps us stay aligned and accountable,” she said.

The Malaysia dialogue reflected growing frustration among activists and practitioners over the gap between global climate commitments and on-the-ground implementation in South Asia. 

While funding flows and policy frameworks exist, it was stressed that transparency, taxation reform and stronger regional coordination are critical to making climate action meaningful.

“We already have the tools and the money in the system,” Upeka said. “The challenge is making sure they reach the right people, in the right way, at the right time. I want to thank Oxfam for this incredible opportunity and for the work that they are doing,” she said.