ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam Friday said that Pakistan is among the top 10 countries in the world that are most vulnerable to global carbon emissions and the world needs to “do more on actual climate action and not just words.”
“Pakistan is a country which contributes less than one percent to the global emissions, yet it is in the top 10 list of most vulnerable countries because of our topography and geography,” he said addressing the virtual Leaders Summit on Climate.
He said that cyclones, sea levels’ rise, Himalayan glaciers melting, arid zones getting heat wave, and floods were among the serious climate challenges that were impacting 220 million people of Pakistan.
“Pakistan is really at the forefront of climate disaster but we are strong and resilient nation trying to cope with this disaster,” he said.
Aslam said that Pakistan is committed to green and clean energy pathway and aims to ensure 60 per cent clean energy as well as 30 per cent electric vehicles transition by the year 2030.
In addition, he said, Pakistan is “leading away from a coal future towards a clean energy future.”
He said that 10 billion trees plantation plan and restoring one million hectares of forest were among Pakistan’s key initiatives to tackle climate change, adding that Pakistan is the only country in world with increasing mango cover.
The SAPM urged the world to materialise its commitment on climate change and “do more.”
“Pakistan is clearly doing more than its share for the climate change issue — the world really needs to get off this warpath with nature — this is not a sustainable pathway — it will only get us into further trouble. The world needs to do more on climate change. It needs to do more on actual climate action and not just words. Action on the ground needs to be taken now and the world needs to do more on climate finance — it needs to deliver on climate finance for countries’ energy transition — like Pakistan — that need to adapt to climate change — and it (world) needs to honour its commitment of $ 100 billion a year promised on climate change — the world does not have a choice but to go this pathway,” Aslam said.
Pakistan believes in “cooperative, collaborative and inclusive” climate negotiation process, he added.
Last week, United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry invited Aslam to attend virtual Leaders Summit on Climate held on April 22.
In this regard Kerry wrote a letter to the SAPM dated April 17 inviting him to attend the virtual summit.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021