PM urges implementation of COP27 commitments

Shehbaz appreciates efforts of all those involved in dialogue process during Sharm el-Shiekh conference

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the establishment of the Loss and Damage Fund by the COP27 summit was a realisation in the world about the vagaries of climate change, as he repeated his earlier warning that what happened in Pakistan during the monsoon season, would not stay in Pakistan.

Addressing the ‘COP27 and Beyond: Pakistan’s Resilience Challenges’ event, the prime minister stressed that commitments made in Sharm el-Shiekh must be implemented because the climate-induced disaster that hit Pakistan could also hit other parts of the world.

“Our friends … have realised the importance of this challenge. That is why it [COP27] has made a remarkable agreement at Sharm el-Sheikh. ‘Loss and Damage’ is now a reality,” Shehbaz told the event. “But then, it’s not about these agreements and understandings. It’s about practical implementation,” he added.

The event was held to acknowledge the ministers, government officers and experts whose efforts led to the agreement on the Loss and Damage Fund. Shehbaz appreciated the efforts of all those involved for achieving which was almost impossible.

“The Loss and Damage Fund was like a sleeping beauty for decades”, Shehbaz said, adding that it was for the first time that it had been articulated by a team led by the ministers for foreign affairs and climate change. “Pakistan seeks justice as it has less than 1% contribution to the carbon emission.”

The prime minister said the unprecedented floods in Pakistan had affected 33 million, left hundreds of people dead, and inflicted more than $30 billion loss to the country’s agriculture, industry, infrastructure, and livestock. He thanked the donor countries, organisations, and philanthropists for supporting the flood survivors.

He also lauded the role of the provincial governments and government institutions for their efforts for relief and rehabilitation of the victims. He also appreciated the role of diplomats, experts and other ministries, who contributed to making the world realise what had happened to Pakistan.

Addressing the event, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar apprised the gathering of the concerted efforts made by the prime minister, the foreign minister and diplomats at COP27. She termed the establishment of the Fund a major outcome of the Sharm el-Sheikh conference.

“The Loss and Damage Fund is a landmark event because the developing countries have been pursuing it for the last three decades,” Khar said. “The Fund will support the developing countries like Pakistan to rebuild the destroyed infrastructure and achieve resilience,” she added.

“This is not about global south alone rather all climate-justice seekers both in the north and the south,” she remarked. She appreciated the flexibility shown by the developed countries which led to the agreement and realising a win-win situation for all.

Also speaking at the event, Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman, who was instrumental in the dialogue process at COP27, said that resilience was the key to a sustainable future. “It is all about climate justice, not a charity. Developing countries lack resources to deal with the climate-induced disasters.”