BAKU: Pakistan has become the first country to organize two separate panel discussions on climate finance at the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The event is currently being held at the Baku Stadium in Azerbaijan from November 11 to 22, 2024, marking a significant global climate action moment.
At the COP29, Pakistan, a nation consistently ranked among the most climate-affected countries, took an important step to emphasize the critical role of the judiciary in shaping climate policy and finance. The panels addressed the urgent need for climate finance, especially for the Global South, which suffers the most from climate disasters despite contributing minimally to global emissions.
The first panel, titled “Judicial Pathways Towards Climate Justice – Judicial Approaches for Addressing Climate Change through Global Analysis,” was moderated by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The panel included prominent voices such as Senator Sherry Rehman, Chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change, and senior judges from Nepal, Belgium, Brazil, and Pakistan. It focused on the growing gap in climate finance, with developing countries needing $4 trillion to tackle climate change impacts.
Senator Rehman emphasized the need for scaling up climate finance, particularly for countries like Pakistan, which contribute less than one percent of global carbon emissions but face the highest costs due to climate change. She also called for the fulfillment of financial commitments made under the Paris Agreement, particularly for adaptation and loss and damage funds.
Discussions also addressed the intersection of human rights and climate rights, with Justice Sapana Malla from Nepal and Professor Luis Gabriel Franceschi from the Commonwealth Secretariat emphasizing the failure of wealthy nations to meet financial obligations. The need for judicial leadership in holding governments accountable for climate action was also stressed.
Justice Jawad Hassan of the Lahore High Court highlighted Pakistan’s judicial leadership in advancing climate justice through landmark judgments. He pointed out Pakistan’s Constitutional commitment to the right to a clean and healthy environment and its proactive steps in addressing climate finance and adaptation.
The second panel, “Integrating Science into Judicial Decision Making,” chaired by Justice Ayesha A. Malik of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, focused on incorporating climate science into judicial decision-making. Experts like Dr. Adil Najam, Dr. Fahad Saeed, and Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri emphasized the need for judicial systems to integrate climate science to make informed and effective decisions.
