Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking at a United Nations climate event in New York on Thursday, urged the global community to fulfil its climate finance commitments, stressing that debt-driven assistance cannot provide lasting solutions for vulnerable nations. He stated that “loans over loans” would not address the scale of climate catastrophes facing countries like Pakistan.

Sharif highlighted Pakistan’s ongoing struggles with climate disasters in the aftermath of the devastating 2022 floods, which inflicted more than $30 billion in damages, displaced millions, and left a deep humanitarian crisis.

He added that the current year’s monsoon season has already affected over five million people, destroyed more than 4,100 villages, and claimed over 1,000 lives, stressing that the country remains trapped in recurring cycles of climate-induced devastation.

Despite contributing minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions, Pakistan continues to experience disproportionate climate impacts. The Prime Minister reiterated Islamabad’s unwavering commitment to its climate agenda and reminded delegates that Pakistan had pledged a 15 percent reduction in projected greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 under its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Outlining Pakistan’s progress, Sharif noted that renewable energy now constitutes over 32 percent of the national power mix and that solar generation has expanded sevenfold since 2021. He further highlighted the restoration of 23,000 hectares of mangrove forests, marking a significant step in climate resilience and biodiversity preservation.

Looking ahead, Pakistan aims to expand its renewable and hydropower share to 62 percent by 2035. Additional plans include increasing nuclear capacity by 1,200 megawatts by 2030, shifting 30 percent of the transport sector toward clean mobility, and establishing 3,000 charging stations nationwide. The government also intends to scale up climate-smart agriculture, secure water resources, and launch a one-billion-tree plantation drive.

However, Sharif acknowledged that the implementation of these ambitious adaptation measures is being severely hampered by the lack of adequate international climate finance. He emphasized that Pakistan, like many developing countries, requires grants and innovative financing mechanisms rather than additional loans.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres echoed this concern, stressing that ambitious climate action is still possible to limit global warming to 1.5°C by the end of the century. He underlined that clean energy is competitive and imperative for a sustainable future.

Guterres further called on COP30, to be hosted by Brazil, to deliver a credible global response plan. He stressed the need for mobilizing $1.3 trillion annually in climate finance by 2035, alongside measures such as debt relief, debt swaps, and disaster pause clauses. He emphasized that developing countries, despite being the least responsible for emissions, remain the most severely affected by the climate crisis.

The event thus served as a reminder of the pressing requirement for a fair and effective global climate finance framework, especially for nations like Pakistan that face escalating vulnerabilities without sufficient resources to adapt.

Based On ANI Report