Climate change remains one of the defining issues of our times. Though the scale of the adverse impacts of climate change varies from region to region, developing countries like Pakistan are particularly worst affected by it. Pakistan is among the top ten countries most adversely impacted by climate change.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) together with the Kyoto Protocol (1997) and Paris Agreement (2015) provide the international legal framework for multilateral efforts to address climate change. Pakistan has ratified all three agreements.

Pakistan attaches high importance to promoting international cooperation to effectively tackle climate change. The country remains actively engaged in the multilateral negotiations under UNFCCC and Paris Agreement. The UNFCCC acknowledges countries’ common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC). 

In its capacity as the Chair of Group of 77& China in 2022, Pakistan led the developing countries in the climate change negotiations at COP-27 in November 2022 in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt. 

Pakistan also welcomes the establishment of a fund to address loss and damage caused by climate-induced disasters. The consensus decision taken to this effect by the COP27 is a momentous achievement, especially for the Group of 77 &China, as the developing countries have been demanding such a fund for the past 30 years. The catastrophic climate change induced floods in Pakistan last year (2022) that resulted in losses and damages of over US$ 30 billion refocused the global attention towards this critical issue. Pakistan galvanized support for establishment of the fund at COP27, first by having it placed on the agenda of the Conference, and then pushing for a consensus agreement.

Pakistan is of the view that there is an urgent need for enhanced global climate action and international cooperation to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change before it is too late, based on the established principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC). Pakistan has also been underscoring the need to bridge the gap between the global climate finance commitments and their implementation, with a balanced focus on adaptation and mitigation, as well as loss and damage.

As part of its climate diplomacy — given that we are one of the most climate vulnerable countries — Pakistan would continue to constructively contribute to global climate change debate, negotiations and action.

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