A nationwide campaign called “Breathe Pakistan” aims to increase public awareness and support for the effects of climate change. It seeks to unite the public, private sector, government institutions, and climate experts under a single agenda to develop viable solutions.
International Climate Change Conference Highlights
During DawnMedia’s Breathe Pakistan International Climate Change Conference, global experts emphasized the urgent need for climate finance reforms. Valerie Hickey, the World Bank’s Global Director for Climate Change, stressed the importance of eliminating redundant subsidies and redirecting funds toward adaptation. She highlighted that while $1 billion per day is required to combat drought and desertification, $2 billion per day is allocated to agricultural subsidies, often counteracting climate efforts.
Hickey pointed out that most climate finance currently supports mitigation rather than adaptation, leaving less than 20% of funding for the Global South—where climate change’s impacts are most severe. She also warned that voluntary carbon markets have significantly declined, with private finance remaining largely on the sidelines due to disincentives and lack of actionable data.
Pakistan’s Climate Finance Challenges
The two most urgent existential issues facing Pakistan, according to Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, are population management and climate change. He emphasized that adaptation—not just mitigation—is the country’s biggest challenge and stressed the importance of implementing climate resilience and decarbonization efforts. To tackle these issues, Pakistan has implemented important frameworks such as the National Climate Finance Strategy and the National Adaptation Plan.
Aurangzeb highlighted bureaucratic obstacles in accessing Green Climate Funds, with processes often delaying urgently needed financial support.Former State Bank Governor Shamshad Akhtar projected that Pakistan needs $40–50 billion per year for climate investments through 2050, but current funding remains significantly insufficient.. She warned that inaction could cost Pakistan $250 billion by 2030 and $1.2 trillion by 2050.
Call to Action
At the conference, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal called climate change a lived reality for Pakistan, pointing to catastrophic floods, glacial melts, heatwaves, and droughts. UN officials urged immediate action to tackle emissions and climate disasters. The contribution of his province was highlighted by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who pointed out that although KP’s woods offset 50% of Pakistan’s carbon emissions, their effective preservation costs Rs332 billion annually.
Despite commitments, key political figures—including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz—were absent from the event. The conference underscored the need for swift execution of climate policies, greater international support, and public-private collaboration to drive climate resilience in Pakistan.
