ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stressed on Friday the need for more predictable, flexible, and grant-based financial support for developing countries to enable them to build resilient infrastructure and invest in sustainable development.
In a video message at the two-day “Breathe Pakistan International Climate Change Conference”, organised by a local media group, he said that the absence of such support will render the journey towards climate adoption and green transformation unattainable.
He stated that country’s narrative regarding climate change represented a “cruel paradox” as its emissions accounted for less than one percent, yet it remains one of the most climate-affected countries with climate change-induced floods, glacial meltdown, blistering heat-waves and soil-cracking droughts.
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Sharif recalled that two years ago, one-third of Pakistan was submerged in floodwaters, displacing 33 million people and claiming 1,700 innocent lives, adding the calamity transformed climate change from a distant threat to an urgent call to action.
The prime minister said that his government had inherited robust frameworks including the National Climate Change Policy, 2021 and the National Adaptation Plan, 2023, but admitted the measures alone were not sufficient.
After recognising implementation gaps, he added, the government has given top priority to governance reforms, execution of policies and initiatives aimed at capacity building.
The initiatives such as the 5Es, 5Cs and Uraan Pakistan are fundamentally based on our indigenous transformation strategy, he said, adding, “we are incorporating climate resilience into the areas of energy, equity, connectivity and development.”
He called for a united front, where every citizen, regardless of their background, contributes to this noble cause, ensuring that Pakistan emerges as a leader in environmental sustainability on the global stage.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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