PARIS: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Sunday that with developed countries having more responsibility in tackling challenges of the climate change, Pakistan was ready to contribute in global efforts.

“Although Pakistan has minimum level of carbon emissions, we will contribute in the global efforts to tackle the climate change issues,” he said in a brief chat with the media soon after his arrival in the French capital to attend the two-week 21st UN Climate Change Conference set to open on Monday.

In reply to a question, Mr Sharif said that Pakistan would not let any hurdle come in way of its development process. “We will present our point of view before the world and will also listen to the point of view of other countries.”

Sharif is expected to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of conference

The prime minister will deliver his speech at the leaders’ event of the conference at Le Bourget, Paris, on Monday.

The conference is scheduled to be attended and addressed by 147 world leaders, including US President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Earlier, Mr Sharif landed at Orly Airport along with First Lady Kalsoom Nawaz and Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi.

Senior French officials, Pakistan’s Minister for Climate Change Zahid Hamid and Ambassador to France Ghalib Iqbal received them.

The prime minister will join the heads of state and government at a lunch to be hosted by French President Francois Hollande. He is also expected to hold some bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the conference.

Ambassador Iqbal said that besides addressing the conference, Mr Sharif would have an informal meeting with President Hollande during which he would express Pakistan’s solidarity with the government and people of France over the Nov 13 terrorist attacks in Paris.

He said according to some international reports, Pakistan could touch dangerous level in terms of water scarcity by 2050.

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2015