NEW YORK: Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, Wednesday called upon the international community to provide financial and technical assistance to developing countries, including Pakistan, in their efforts to address climate change.
He was addressing at the Climate Ambition Summit 2023 on the sideline of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Prime Minister Kakar urged all nations, regardless of their status or geographical location, to raise their climate ambitions. He emphasized that climate change’s adverse effects were increasing in frequency and intensity, disproportionately impacting developing nations. Pakistan, he noted, was among the top ten vulnerable countries, despite contributing less than one percent to global warming.
Expressing gratitude to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for global support following last year’s devastating floods, Prime Minister Kakar stressed that adaptation was a critical priority for Pakistan. The country had adopted its first National Adaptation Plan to enhance climate resilience.
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Pakistan’s Commitment to Counter Climate Change
He highlighted Pakistan’s “Living Indus Initiative” aimed at restoring the ecological health of the Indus basin and efforts to enhance early warning and flood protection systems. Pakistan had also committed to converting 60 percent of its energy resources to alternative energy by 2030, an endeavor costing approximately $100 billion.
Quoting Quranic verses, the prime minister emphasized Islam’s promotion of environmental responsibility and efficient natural resource utilization. He urged the global community to take climate actions and provide support to developing countries, stating that this would be a test of solidarity and, possibly, the survival of humanity on an increasingly fragile planet.
