Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan, has emphasised the severity of climate change and called for urgent action to address this existential threat. He highlighted the devastating floods that Pakistan experienced last year and the record-breaking heat witnessed this year as stark reminders of the impacts of climate change.
Kakar urged participants at COP28 to make it a “COP of action, not just words”. He highlighted Pakistan’s efforts in increasing its climate ambition and taking concrete steps, such as presenting a comprehensive National Adaptation Plan, launching the Living Indus Initiative, and preparing its first Biennial Update Report.
“At COP26 in Glasgow, we increased our ambition, presenting our revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), with the target of 50 per cent overall reduction in projected emissions by 2030.”
In his speech at the World Climate Action Summit as part of the UN Climate Change Conference COP28, he underscored Pakistan’s role in advocating for a global Loss and Damage Fund and emphasised the need to activate this fund with adequate financing.
“It is critical that, under UAE’s leadership, COP28 also activates the means of implementation, i.e climate finance, technology transfer and capacity building for developing countries, based on the established principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities,” Kakar said.
He stressed the importance of climate justice and the need to support developing countries in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals while pursuing climate objectives.
Kakar reiterated the necessity of developed countries fulfilling their commitment of providing $100 billion in climate finance. He emphasised that this finance should not come at the expense of development finance or worsen the debt burden of developing countries.
The Prime Minister called for a global “course correction” to keep the 1.5 °C temperature goal within reach. He urged developed countries to take the lead in raising global mitigation ambition and support developing countries in doing the same.
Finally, Kakar emphasised the need for an ambitious outcome in the form of a Framework for the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), with clear targets, indicators, and regular monitoring. He advocated for allocating at least half of climate finance to adaptation efforts.