Obstacles to climate activism in Pakistan

There is no disagreement that Pakistan is one of the top five most vulnerable countries to climate change, despite its minimal contribution of 0.9% to global GHG emissions. Yet, few question how the country's annual GHG emissions are calculated given the lack of expertise in this field within Pakistan. Moreover, there is little discussion about whether Pakistan's vulnerability is due to its preparedness or lack thereof. These questions often remain unanswered or are deemed insignificant.

A similar situation was observed in the early 1990s when few people understood environmental pollution, and most considered garbage collection to be the sole responsibility of environmental regulators, which were still in their infancy at the time. However, due to pressure from global importers, export-based industries gradually began to comply with environmental laws to maintain their market share. Additionally, the growing green movement in the media and civil society led local industries to hire environmental consultants to ensure compliance and avoid legal action. While many of these efforts were superficial, the media played a crucial role in raising public awareness about the benefits of a clean environment.

Today, climate change is occurring at a rapid pace, yet institutional responses have been slow. Even the establishment of climate change institutions has been delayed, with a fully-fledged climate change authority being established only recently, seven years after the passage of the first climate change act. While climate change policies and adaptation plans exist at both federal and provincial levels, ground-level implementation remains minimal. Unlike the environmental movement of the past, there is limited awareness and engagement on climate change within civil society beyond superficial support. A few NGOs are working to address the issue, but their outreach is hampered by resource constraints.

The media, while trying its best to highlight the issue, is heavily focused on covering climate disasters, which have become increasingly frequent. This focus leaves little room for discussing climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. Additionally, the lack of progress at the government level, beyond a few selected projects under Nationally Determined Contributions, limits the media's ability to report on solutions. These projects are primarily focused on demonstrating compliance with the Paris Agreement and securing climate finance.

A significant obstacle to climate activism in Pakistan is the lack of knowledge within civil society about climate change, its causes and its impacts. While people may understand the basic causes and effects, they often rely on climate change experts, who are limited in number and may be reluctant to speak out due to job constraints. This places a heavy burden on a small group of climate activists with expertise in the field.

In Karachi, a group of climate activists has been organising climate marches, but these events have struggled to attract large crowds. Another group is working to mobilise communities to address issues like costly electricity, load-shedding and heatwaves through a transition to renewable energy. However, these efforts face resistance from communities that are more concerned with other pressing issues and are less receptive to climate change solutions.

While the Sindh Forest Department's initiative to generate carbon credits through nature-based solutions is commendable, it highlights the challenges of ensuring climate justice at the community level. Despite the project's significant revenue, the surrounding communities have not received a commensurate share, which constitutes a clear violation of climate justice principles. Although the project proponent claims to have undertaken community development activities, the scale of these efforts is disproportionate to the total earnings. A more engaged and active community, driven by climate activism, could have helped to prevent such disparities.

At the government level, there is a lack of support for fostering climate activism within communities. Instead, government-selected individuals are often provided with climate training to create a false impression of preparedness for collective action against climate change. A small group of climate activists in the city centre has started offering free training, but their efforts have received minimal attention due to the presence of numerous other groups that not only provide training but also pay participants. These paid training programmes attract individuals primarily interested in earning money rather than genuinely contributing to climate action.

Furthermore, unlike other sectors where anyone can contribute to community development, working in the climate sector requires a basic understanding of science to comprehend the relationship between GHG emissions, heat trapping and global warming. Additionally, political awareness is necessary to connect climate issues with broader political challenges, as institutional change requires the involvement of legislators.

In Western countries, the focus has shifted from climate activism to climate actionism, which involves working on the ground to address climate change. In Pakistan, however, climate activism is often limited to criticising the fossil fuel industry and government inaction. A recent campaign by a Karachi-based climate NGO to greenify the city's sole power generation company has faced backlash, highlighting the shortsightedness of many communities and their reluctance to engage in climate action.

The environment of fear in Pakistan, particularly in Karachi, is a major obstacle to climate activism. People are afraid of being labeled as traitors or facing legal action if they speak out for their climate rights. They may not realise that climate activism is essential for climate adaptation and that the city needs a large number of activists to work alongside rescue workers to mitigate the impacts of climate disasters. Without collective action, Pakistan will continue to suffer the consequences of climate change.

To effectively implement climate change mitigation and adaptation measures, the government must prioritise genuine programmes for community mobilisation. These initiatives should not be limited to bureaucratic paperwork but should actively engage with communities. To achieve this, the government should collaborate with genuine NGOs and community groups to promote climate activism and create a second tier of workforce capable of responding to climate crises. Relying solely on government servants may result in administrative efficiency but often falls short in addressing on-the-ground challenges. In such situations, the burden of protecting lives and property may fall disproportionately on a few philanthropic organisations.