- PM Shehbaz emphasizes developing nations need $6.8 trillion assistance by 2030 to counter climate challenges
- Urges world community to take developing countries out of debt trap, calling it ‘death trap for poor countries’
BAKU: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has urged the developed nations to fulfil their commitments to developing countries for boosts climate resilience, saying developing nations need $6.8 trillion assistance by 2030 so that poor nations can counter the climate challenges.
Addressing the opening plenary “World Leaders’ Climate Action Summit” of the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), he lamented that at COP 15, climate financing reached merely $160 billion dollar which is too less than the actual requirement.
He told the participants that Pakistan was also facing climate challenges like floods. He urged the world community to take developing countries out of debt trap which is in fact a death trap for poor countries.
The Prime Minister urged the world leaders, especially the developed countries, to accept their responsibility regarding climate change and provide assistance to the developing countries in dealing with these challenges.
The PM calls for strong and climate finance mechanism, saying that developed countries should focus on debt solutions.
At the COP-29 climate action summit, the prime minister also championed the cause of millions of Pakistanis affected by the devastating floods and convince the world that Pakistan, which has a negligible share of greenhouse gas emissions, was facing hard time.
PM Shehbaz said along with economic conditions, we are struggling with the harmful effects of climate change. Earlier, on arrival at the summit venue, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev welcomed the prime minister.
Later, he also posed for a family photo along with the participating leaders at the venue which followed the opening of the World Leaders Climate Action Summit. The prime minister will also attend several high-level events on the sidelines of the summit; besides holding bilateral meetings with the world leaders.
Earlier, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi, the prime minister landed in the capital city of Azerbaijan to attend the moot and several high-level events and roundtable discussions hosted by Pakistan. He will host a Climate Round Table Conference organised by Pakistan today to be attended by world leaders. At the event, the prime minister will highlight the challenges faced by developing countries despite their minimum contribution to carbon emissions.
Moreover, the prime minister will also participate in the high-level event “Glaciers 2025: Action for Glaciers” which is being hosted by Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon.
The separate meetings with the prime ministers of Denmark and the Czech Republic are also on today’s agenda of the prime minister wherein he would not only discuss the bilateral relations but also highlight the risks posed by climate change to Pakistan.
Meetings world leaders at Climate Action Summit
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held informal meetings with world leaders at the opening ceremony of the 29th Climate Action Summit Cop-29 in Baku on Tuesday.
He interacted with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and discussed cooperation on climate change and matters of mutual interest.
The Prime Minister also met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and First Lady Emine Erdogan. They discussed cooperation on globally highlighting issues of environmental pollution and climate change as well as matters of mutual interest between Turkey and Pakistan.
Besides, Shehbaz Sharif met with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon. They discussed conservation of glaciers and water resources in Central Asian countries and Pakistan. They also exchanged views on expanding communication links among Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
On the occasion, the Prime Minister also talked to Nepalese President Ramchandra Paudel and Chief Advisor of Bangladesh’s Interim Government Dr Muhammad Yunus.
They discussed growing temperatures, the threat of rising sea levels, and forest conservation in South Asia. Additionally, they talked about enhancing bilateral relations between Pakistan and both Bangladesh and Nepal.
The Prime Minister also met his British counterpart Sir Keir Starmer and discussed enhancing Pakistan-UK cooperation.
Furthermore, he interacted with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. They discussed strengthening Pakistan-Kazakhstan relations and expanding regional connectivity.
