No compromise on development: PM

Says developed nations bear greater responsibility towards climate change

PARIS: As Pakistan gears up to present its case at the international climate change summit in Paris, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has warned that it will not compromise on its development projects.

“We will present our point of view before the world and will also listen to the point of view of other countries,” he told reporters shortly after landing at the Orly Airport in Paris Sunday afternoon.

The premier will be speaking at the two-week long UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Le Bourget, which starts on Monday. Heads of state from around 147 countries, including US President Barack Obama, British Premier David Cameron, Russian President Vladmir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, will attend the conference.

Nawaz said Pakistan had negligible emissions and that it was the developed nations who shouldered greater responsibility towards climate change, adding that Pakistan had set its targets with respect to environmental pollution.

“Though Pakistan has minimum level of carbon emissions, we will contribute in the global efforts to tackle the climate change issues,” the premier said.

The prime minister is expected to highlight Pakistan’s efforts in tackling the climate change challenges in his speech on Monday.

Minister for Climate Change Zahid Hamid, who was a part of the premier’s reception team, explained that Pakistan expects the world to offer it the required resources and technology to tackle the challenges of climate change in the wake of its enhanced focus on development in the areas of energy and water shortages and work on the ongoing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

He added that Pakistan was among those countries which had the least emissions but faces the gravest of threats from climate change.

The premier will also attend a luncheon of world leaders which will be hosted by French President Francois Hollande. He is expected to hold a number of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the conference in addition to an informal meeting with Hollande.

Paris police detain 208 after climate change demo

French police on Sunday detained 208 people and kept a total of 174 in custody, after activists clashed with police in Paris on Sunday ahead of key climate conference, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said.

The minister said the acts of violence in central Paris by the protesters, who hurled bottles and candles at police, must be “firmly” condemned.

The violence took place at the Place de la Republique where flowers and candles have been left in memory of the 130 people who died in the Paris attacks November 13.

Security has been beefed in the French capital in wake of the deadly attack as it hosts heads of states from over 100 countries for COP21 which is being held just outside of Paris at Le Bourget.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th,  2015.