CLIMATE RISK AUDITING IN PUBLIC SECTOR FINANCE: A NEW PARADIGM FOR ACCOUNTABILITY

Authors

  • Theresia Febiengry Sitanala Universitas Pattimura, Indonesia Author
  • Adonia Anita Batkunde Universitas Pattimura, Indonesia Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19584141

Keywords:

Climate Risk Audit, Public Sector, Accountability, Climate Change, , Public Financial Governance

Abstract

Climate change has become a systemic risk with a significant impact on the financial stability of the public sector, necessitating a new approach to audit practice to ensure more comprehensive accountability. This study aims to examine the concept of climate risk auditing as a new paradigm in public sector financial auditing using a literature review method. The study analyzes various scientific sources, international institutional reports, and relevant regulations to identify developments, challenges, and implications for implementing climate risk audits. The results indicate that integrating climate risk into the audit process not only broadens the scope of traditional audits but also encourages increased transparency, disclosure of non-financial risks, and strengthened public sector governance. Furthermore, auditors are required to possess new competencies that include an understanding of sustainability issues, environmental risk analysis, and the use of technology-based data. This study also found that there are still limitations in audit standards that specifically address climate risk, necessitating the development of an audit framework that is adaptive and responsive to the dynamics of climate change. Thus, climate risk auditing is a crucial element in strengthening public accountability and supporting sustainable decision-making in the public sector.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Avgousti, A., Caprioli, F., Caracciolo, G., Cochard, M., Dallari, P., Delgado-Téllez, M., Ferdinandusse, M., Filip, D., Prammer, D., Schmidt, K., & Theofilakou, A. (2023). The Climate Change Challenge and Fiscal Instruments and Policies in the EU (SSRN Scholarly Paper No. 4424152). Social Science Research Network. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4424152

Azizov, E. (2025). Advancing Climate Justice in Fiscal Governance: Redesigning Accountability Frameworks in Global Climate Finance. SocioHumania: Journal of Social Humanities Studies, 2(2), 79–99. https://doi.org/10.70063/sociohumania.v2i2.126

Bostan, I. (2024). Major External Public Audit Topics: Combating the Effects of Climate Change on Soil. European Journal of Law and Public Administration, 11(2), 169–185.

Brunelli, S., & Falivena, C. (n.d.). Public Sector Accountability Challenges in Emerging Climate Governance: Seeking Consequentiality Through a Theoretical Common Ground. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.70033

Choudhary, V., & Trivedi, S. (n.d.). The Role of Internal Audit in Risk Management with a Perspective of Sustainability Development. Retrieved April 13, 2026, from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781394167944.ch19

Darvas, Z., & Wolff, G. B. (2023). A Green Fiscal Pact for the EU: Increasing climate investments while consolidating budgets. Climate Policy, 23(4), 409–417. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2022.2147893

Georgiou, G. A. (2024). Building Resilience in the Public Sector Through Risk Assessment, Activity-Based Budgeting and Performance Audit. In A. Hyz (Ed.), The Role of the Public Sector in Building Social and Economic Resilience: A Public Finance Approach (pp. 105–117). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-67702-1_6

Hartlieb, S., & Eierle, B. (2024). Do Auditors Respond to Clients’ Climate Change-related External Risks? Evidence from Audit Fees. European Accounting Review, 33(3), 1075–1103. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638180.2022.2141811

Hoque, H., & Irfan, S. (2024). The role of Big 4 auditors in mitigating climate risk: Evidence from earnings conference call-based climate risk (SSRN Scholarly Paper No. 4851639). Social Science Research Network. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4851639

Islam, S. (2025). A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF PUBLIC BUDGETING STRATEGIES IN DEVELOPING ECONOMIES: TOOLS FOR TRANSPARENT FISCAL GOVERNANCE. American Journal of Advanced Technology and Engineering Solutions, 1(01), 602–635. https://doi.org/10.63125/wm547117

Limba, F. B., Sapulette, S. G., & Sitanala, T. F. (2025). AUDITOR PERCEPTION OF CLOUD TECHNOLOGY-BASED AUDITS. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC LITERATURE, 3(5), 291–306.

Marinheiro, C. F., do Rosário e Sousa, A., & Pinheiro, A. (2024). The Climate Dimension of Fiscal Policy Sustainability: Best Practices in Green Budgeting and Lessons for Portugal. In R. Saraiva & P. A. Pardal (Eds.), Sustainable Finances and the Law: Between Public and Private Solutions (pp. 195–218). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-49460-4_9

Okeke, N., Maureen, O., Iweias, S., & Sokiri. (2025). Carbon Emissions Disclosure and Its Effect on External Auditors’ Risk Assessment. https://doi.org/10.56201/jafm.vol.11.no8.2025.pg394.406

Rana, T., Lowe, A., & Azam, M. S. (2022). Green governmentality and climate change risk management: The case of a regulatory reform in Bangladesh. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 36(3), 801–829. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAAJ-05-2021-5286

Šalienė, A., Tamulevičienė, D., & Tvaronavičienė, M. (2024). Focus of performance audit recommendations on the approach of public value creation: The case of the National Audit Office of Lithuania. Journal of International Studies., 17(4), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.14254/2071-8330.2024/17-4/1

Talbot, D., & Boiral, O. (2023). Integrating recommendations from sustainability performance audits: Moving from words to action. Public Management Review, 25(12), 2300–2322. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2023.2222119

Yamamoto, K., & Schührer, S. (2023). Chapter 6: Finance and accounting: recent developments and challenges building efficiency and public accountability. https://www.elgaronline.com/edcollchap/book/9781800376748/book-part-9781800376748-10.xml

Downloads

Published

2026-04-14