ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Climate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman on Thursday said that Pakistan was gearing up to make the case for climate justice at the upcoming multilateral climate forum COP27 in Egypt.

“We are in the 20th nightmarish week of longest relief phase in Pakistan’s history. As of now, 1, 731 people have lost their lives and more than 12, 000 are injured in the floods. The government has dispersed Rs66.6 billion to more than 2.6 million people from the affected populations via Benazir Income Support Programme. The flood has redefined all priorities for us, and it has made climate induced catastrophes a reality,” said Sherry Rehman speaking at a press briefing at the Ministry of Climate Change.

Speaking at a briefing about the COP27, she said, “Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will address the head of states during the world leaders’ summit. He will also co-chair a high-level roundtable with the Prime Minister of Norway on the theme of Climate Change and the sustainability of vulnerable communities.”

She told the briefing that the prime minister would also have bilateral engagements with other head of states and ministers. Pakistan’s pavilion would host 25 side events and panel discussions including screening of videos, showcasing Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change and the recent catastrophic floods.

Talking about the search for climate justice, she said, “This current climate system has failed the Global South since 2009. Even during the last COP in Glasgow, there was deep regret over the unmet goal of $100 billion per year. The developed countries of the Global North, who have the biggest share in carbon emissions, are ignoring the ongoing problem of climate finance and loss and damage. We have repeatedly made a case for enhancing climate funding. The $100 billion bill has never been paid, nor has the Adaptation Fund been capitalized,” she said.

She said with the support of other developing countries, Pakistan would seek to put the creation of a Loss and Damage Finance Facility on the agenda. “Pakistan has fought for Loss and Damage to be added to the provisional agenda of COP27. Begging bowl diplomacy must stop and in turn must transform into a funding window, where affected countries can access funds for humanitarian response, rehabilitation, and recovery.

She concluded that COP 27 was a multilateral forum and not a donor forum, but it would be the place for broad strategic climate agreements.

For years, this had been on the talks and nothing concrete had taken place, Sherry Rehman said adding, “Now is the time to move towards implementation, and enough with broken promises. COP27 must shake the leaders of the Global North that talks must be focused on protecting vulnerable lives.”.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2022