KARACHI: Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman has been included in TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world.

The prestigious annual list names people from all around the world.

There is no particular order to the rankings, but they have handily separated the chosen ones in six categories: artists, icons, pioneers, leaders, titans, and innovators. Each profile has been written by guest contributors. Ms Rehman is mentioned in the leaders’ section.

The minister remained in the news throughout last year, especially in the wake of the catastrophic floods, as she led the cause for compensation to countries vulnerable to climate change.

Minister led cause for compensation to countries vulnerable to climate change

“Thank you. Team effort,” she said in a tweet on Friday, adding that she was grateful to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari “for leading the way on this” as foreign minister and to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his support to both.

Germany’s State Secretary and Special Envoy for International Climate Action Jennifer Morgan penned a letter for Ms Rehman, appreciating her efforts to communicate climate crises on a global stage.

“She [Ms Rehman] gave a voice to those who had lost everything to the floods. Through impassioned speeches and tireless engagement in negotiations, she convinced many of the delegates that the blatant injustice must come to an end. COP27 ended with a historic decision—the world community agreed for the first time to establish new loss and damage funding arrangements to support the most vulnerable countries,” wrote Ms Morgan.

“This is a big step toward climate justice, but we still have a long way to go. We will need more people like Sherry Rehman along the way.”

Ms Rehman also pleaded the case of Pakistan, and that of the Global South — the most vulnerable regions at the hands of climate change — during last year’s COP27 conference at Sharm El-Sheikh. She called for unlocking private and public financing for adaptation and mitigation, which would need $125 trillion to reach net zero by 2050.

In recognition of her efforts, the minister was listed, along with nine other influencers from around the world, as one of the leading voices shaping the global climate agenda.

Climate Home News, a platform that produces content mostly focused on the global climate crisis, said Ms Rehman has “a key role in driving a push for a new funding stream to respond to climate damages.”

Ms Rehman is the PPP vice chairman and previously served as Pakistan’s ambassador to the US. Before venturing into politics, she has also remained the editor of Herald.

Other notable names on the list include King Charles III, US President Joe Biden, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, Palestinian-American supermodel Bella Hadid, journalists Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi from Iran.

TIME Chief Executive Officer Jessica Sibley said: “We are thrilled to recognize this year’s list of the world’s most influential people. We look forward to convening the TIME100 community—one of the largest leadership communities in the world—to spotlight and hear from individuals who are wielding their influence to drive positive action toward a better world at the TIME100 Summit Featuring TIME CO2 and Gala this month in New York City.”

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2023