Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking at the COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, expressed serious concerns over the failure of developed countries to deliver on the financial pledges made during the COP27 and COP28 summits. He emphasized the importance of fulfilling these commitments to support climate action in vulnerable countries like Pakistan, which faced over $30 billion in damages due to the catastrophic flooding in 2022.
During his address, Shehbaz highlighted the destructive impact of climate change on Pakistan, where thousands were displaced, and vital infrastructure, including schools, was devastated. He warned that if the promises from previous summits are not honored, other nations could face similar disasters in the future.
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At the Climate Finance Roundtable Conference, hosted by Pakistan, the prime minister called for a fair and equitable climate finance mechanism. He stressed that developing countries need approximately $6.8 trillion by 2030 to meet even half of their climate-related goals. Shehbaz advocated for the International Delivery Commitment (IDC) proposal, which seeks to establish a structured system to track and measure the fulfillment of climate finance commitments by historic emitters. He emphasized that cooperation and multilateralism are essential for addressing global climate challenges.
The prime minister called for urgent reforms in the global financial architecture to ensure that no nation is left behind in the fight against climate change. On the sidelines of the summit, Shehbaz met with several world leaders, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, discussing ways to enhance cooperation in addressing climate change.
In his discussions with South Asian leaders, such as Bangladesh Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus and Nepalese President Ram Chandra Poudel, Shehbaz stressed the urgent need to address rising temperatures, sea-level threats, and forest conservation in the region. His interactions at COP29 underscored Pakistan’s commitment to climate resilience, but he urged the international community to do its part by providing the necessary financial and technical support.
