- Says expectations from COP28 high but not unrealistic
- Meets Lankan President; agree to address common challenges together
DUBAI: Caretaker Prime Minister (PM) Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Saturday called for immediate execution of the US$100 billion commitments for climate finance to ensure implementation of climate change actions by developing countries and mitigate the climate change impacts.
“Such finance should not be at the cost of development finance nor add to the already high debt burden of the developing countries,” the prime minister said while delivering National Statement at the 28th Conference of Parties of the United Nations (COP28) here.
This year Pakistan presented a comprehensive National Adaptation Plan and has also launched an Innovative Living Indus Initiative that brings together our care for climate and nature.
~ Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, while delivering National Statement at the 28th… pic.twitter.com/4v1f8kVMrD
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) December 2, 2023
He also called upon the developed countries to take the lead in raising global mitigation ambition commensurate with their economic standing and historical responsibility. and then help developing countries do the same.
“We need to achieve global resilience through delivering an ambitious outcome in the form of a framework for global goal on adaptation with clear targets and indicators including regular monitoring of progress,” he said adding that at least half of climate finance must be allocated to adaptation.
The prime minister said the expectations from COP28 were high but not unrealistic hoping that this COP would deliver with action not just words.
PM Kakar laid emphasis on providing adequate means of implementation including climate finance, capacity-building and technology, to developing countries to tackle this growing challenge.
The prime minister highlighted that last year Pakistan suffered super floods while this year would be the world’s hottest year in recorded history.
At COP 26 at Glasgow, PM Kakar said Pakistan increased its ambitions presenting the revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) with a target of 60% overall reduction in projected emissions by 2030.
PM, Sri Lankan President agree to further deepen ties
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday agreed to further deepen and strengthen the long-standing cooperation between the two countries in political, economic, and cultural spheres as well as people-to-people contacts.
Dubai: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar met with the President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe on the sidelines of the high-level segment of #COP28.
🇵🇰 🇱🇰#PMKakarAtCOP28 pic.twitter.com/VAgE7n0A2j
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) December 2, 2023
The prime minister held a bilateral meeting with President Ranil Wickremesinghe on the sidelines of COP-28 being held here, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
The two leaders spoke warmly about the close and cordial nature of Pakistan-Sri Lanka bilateral relations and immense goodwill between the peoples of the two countries.
President Wickremesinghe shared Sri Lanka’s experience and measures to address the challenge of financial crunch and inflation.
Prime Minister Kakar briefed the Sri Lankan president on the government’s efforts to revitalize the economy
The prime minister and President Wickremesinghe discussed the importance of working together to promote peace and development in South Asia and address common challenges including the adverse impacts of climate change.
‘Developing countries must be provided with finances, technology’
Meanwhile, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar emphasized that the developing countries must be provided with finances, technology and capacity building support to deal with the issue of climate change.
Addressing a high level roundtable on “Manner of Implementation-Global Stocktake” in Dubai on Saturday, the Prime Minister said Climate Change is happening and we are witnessing it ourselves.
Developing countries require support, greater coherence and coordination across the UN system.
Developed countries need to urgently rectify shortfalls in their financial commitments under the Paris Agreement~ Caretaker PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, while addressing the Global Stock… pic.twitter.com/PFoGSF87mU
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) December 2, 2023
He said the critical concern for the developing countries like Pakistan is the recurring natural disasters and consequent adaptation needs in the impacted sectors of water, agriculture, urban resilience, natural capital and human health.
The Prime Minister stressed that finance is and will always be the key enabler for climate action. He pointed out that financial needs of developing countries are far more than the unfulfilled one hundred billion dollar pledge. They need six trillion dollars by 2030. Adaptation needs alone are 387 billion dollar per year till 2030. With current adaptation finance estimated at around 21 billion dollar, there is a yawning gap.
He said that the developed countries should be obligated to urgently rectify shortfalls in their finance commitments under the Paris agreement.
He noted that unlocking scaled up and improved financial support will enable developing countries to contribute in bridging the implementation gaps in their mitigation and adaptation actions.
The Prime Minister said that developing countries must be provided with capacity building support to develop appropriate instruments and projects for mitigation and adaptation. He said it is time to harness the capacity of private sector for climate action.
