Without climate justice, there can be no real resilience: PM Shehbaz addresses COP29

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that without climate justice there can be no real resilience, warning that the “future will not forgive our inactions”.

In his address at the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP29, the PM recalled meeting flood affectees in Balochistan.

“I remember meeting a boy named Ikramullah who lost everything. His entire village was erased from the face of the earth, his home was completely demolished, and his school was also submerged.

“And we had arranged his education to another part of Pakistan,” the PM said.

He said COP29 should make this understanding loud and clear that we will have to “fulfil those financial pledges” committed at COP27 and COP28.

“And yet, I think, those huge financial commitments have to be materialised.”

“Without climate justice there can be no real resilience, “ the PM said, adding that Pakistan was fully committed to be a part of the global climate solutions.

He said the government has taken concrete actions to deliver on its commitment to producing 60% of all energy from clean sources and “shifting 30% of our vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs) by the end of this decade”.

The premier said that developing countries would need an estimated $6.2 trillion by 2030 to implement less than half of their current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), calling on the international community “to take measures which are so important at this point in time to have a conducive environment” to combat climate change.

On Tuesday, in his opening remarks at the Climate Finance Roundtable Conference in Baku, the prime minister called for stronger and more actable climate finance mechanisms under the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change.

PM Shehbaz said despite repeated commitments, gaps are growing in quantum leaps, leading to egregious barriers in achieving the objective of UN framework on Climate Change.

He said developing countries will need an estimated 6.8 trillion dollars by 2030 to implement less than half their current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).