KEY POINTS
- Pakistan urges urgent, predictable, and equitable climate finance.
- Calls for enhanced technology transfer and international cooperation.
- Side events highlighted Pakistan’s vulnerabilities and adaptation priorities.
- Delegates praised Pakistan as advocate for equity-based climate governance.
- Stronger South Asian regional cooperation encouraged by international participants.
- Glacial melt risks threaten communities, infrastructure, agriculture, and economy.
- Dedicated disaster-risk financing and anticipatory funding recommended.
- Green-skills development vital for renewable energy, agriculture, and mobility.
- Loss and Damage Fund must prioritise grants, not loans.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reiterated the need for urgent, predictable and equitable climate finance — alongside enhanced technology transfer and stronger international cooperation — to support climate-vulnerable nations.
The call was made during a series of high-level side events hosted by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination on the sidelines of the UN Climate Summit (COP30) in Belem, Brazil.
The events organised by the Ministry provided a key platform for Pakistan to highlight its climate vulnerabilities, adaptation priorities, and ongoing initiatives.
International participants praised Pakistan’s active engagement at COP30, describing the country as a prominent advocate for equity-based climate governance and reforms in global finance.
Delegates also urged stronger regional cooperation in South Asia and called on developed nations to honour their financial and technological commitments.
Pakistan’s delegation emphasised that, while the country remains committed to reducing emissions and enhancing resilience, a just transition depends on sustained partnerships, enabling developing nations to pursue growth without undermining human development.
Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Dr Musadik Masood Malik, Minister of State Shezra Mansab Kharal and Ministry’s Secretary Aisha Humera Moriani addressed the sessions, which were attended by negotiators, international organisations, scientific bodies and civil society groups.
APP adds: Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Spokesperson Mohammad Saleem Shaikh said that the events helped spotlight Pakistan’s climate vulnerabilities, adaptation needs and ongoing initiatives, while also amplifying the country’s diplomatic push for climate justice and reforms in global governance.
Secretary Aisha Humera Moriani, who coordinated Pakistan’s engagement at COP30, said the ministry aimed to advance a climate narrative grounded in evidence and clear policy direction.
She noted that Pakistan’s pavilion had become a central venue for discussions on the adaptation needs of developing countries and the need for support systems aligned with “the realities of those most at risk.”
She added that the side events underscored Pakistan’s focus on practical solutions such as early-warning systems, watershed rehabilitation, vocational training and climate-smart transitions.
“Pakistan’s experience has shown that resilience becomes achievable when science, institutions and financing move in the same direction,” she said.
During a session on “Cryosphere Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction,” Pakistan warned that accelerated glacial melt in the Hindu Kush–Karakoram–Himalaya region posed growing risks to rural communities, infrastructure, agriculture and the wider economy.
Senator Malik highlighted that despite contributing less than one per cent of global emissions, Pakistan faces severe climate impacts, including glacial lake outburst floods and hydrological disruptions.
He called for the creation of dedicated disaster-risk financing mechanisms — particularly anticipatory financing — to help vulnerable communities prepare before disasters strike.
Shezra Mansab Kharal stressed the need for a regional scientific cooperation platform for high-mountain risk assessment, emphasising satellite monitoring, climate modelling and improved early-warning systems. “Adaptation must be resourced at the same scale as climate losses,” she said.
International experts agreed that cryosphere research remains significantly underfunded and that frontline states require predictable long-term financing for resilient infrastructure, watershed restoration and nature-based solutions.
Another high-level session on “Building Green Skills for a Climate-Compatible Pakistan” focused on preparing the national workforce for the global shift towards renewable energy, circular production, electric mobility and climate-smart agriculture.
Senator Musadik Malik cautioned that without investment in green skills, Pakistan risked losing market access as global trade rules move towards low-carbon standards. “Climate change is not just an environmental issue — it is an employment issue, a competitiveness issue and an economic survival issue,” he said.
Shezra Mansab Kharal stressed that green-skills development must be inclusive, particularly for women, youth and vulnerable groups. Development partners added that donor assistance must evolve from short-term projects to long-term national training systems.
In a separate dialogue on climate finance, Pakistan reiterated that ambitious climate action is unachievable unless developed countries honour their Paris Agreement commitments.
Senator Malik said climate financing must shift from “promises to predictable disbursements,” with simplified access and rapid deployment for disaster-prone countries.
He emphasised that the Loss and Damage Fund must be fully capitalised and should prioritise grants and concessional finance rather than loans that increase debt burdens.
Shezra Mansab Kharal urged the global financial system to properly value resilience and ecosystem services, arguing that nations protecting forests, watersheds and biodiversity should not face economic disadvantages.
Adaptation, she said, must be assessed in both economic and ecological terms.
International participants commended Pakistan’s role at COP30, describing the country as an increasingly influential voice for equity-based climate governance and reforms in international financial frameworks.
They also stressed the need for stronger regional cooperation in South Asia and urged developed countries to honour their commitments.
Pakistan’s delegation concluded that while the country remained committed to reducing emissions and strengthening resilience, a just transition would require sustained partnerships, financing and access to technology to ensure development without undermining economic growth.
