ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change Chairperson Senator Sherry Rehman on Wednesday emphasised the critical need for global cooperation to ensure effective climate action and called for international accountability through internationally-determined contributions ahead of COP29.

She was presiding over a key meeting on Wednesday focusing on Pakistan’s nationally determined contributions and reviewing the Pakistan Trade Control of Wild Fauna and Flora (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

The meeting saw participation from senators Shahadat Awan, Shahzeb Durrani, Bushra Anjum Butt, Quratulain Marri and Taj Haider, alongside representatives from the Ministry of Climate Change and other officials.

Reflecting on Pakistan’s NDCs from 2021, which underscored the country’s dedication to energy transition, she noted the concerning rise in global emissions despite continuous international efforts, including the upcoming COP29 summit.

“The NDCs were designed to reduce emissions globally, but instead, we are seeing an increase, pushing the world onto a dangerous path,” she said.

“Big emitters must be held accountable through internationally-determined contributions to help finance the climate response capacities of smaller emitters like Pakistan,” Ms Rehman said, adding that Pakistan, contributing less than 1pc to global emissions, continues to face severe climate-related consequences.

The senator said global community’s failure to curb emissions had left countries like Pakistan grappling with the devastating impacts of rising temperatures, extreme weather events and environmental challenges.

She stressed that Pakistan would require approximately $348 billion by 2030 to meet its sustainability goals, particularly for adaptation and mitigation efforts.

Highlighting the imbalance in global efforts, Senator Rehman noted that financial support still flowed heavily towards fossil fuel industries, with international financial institutions subsidising the sector by $7 trillion. “How can we expect real progress when such funds are directed toward the very industry causing the crisis,” she added.

Senator Rehman emphasised the potential of innovative climate solutions like carbon credits and carbon sequestration. The committee also discussed the Pakistan Trade Control of Wild Fauna and Flora (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

Senator Rehman raised concerns over the current legislation’s capacity to regulate invasive species, recommending a shift in focus from exports to imports to protect Pakistan’s ecosystem.

Following a detailed discussion, the committee agreed to amend the bill by introducing the term ‘invasive’, removing ‘pathogen’, and replacing ‘export’ with ‘import’.

Concluding the meeting, Senator Rehman revisited the issue of Rawal Dam’s water quality, stressing the urgency of a comprehensive lab report on its toxicity levels, pH, and faecal contamination. She directed authorities to provide the report at the next meeting, warning that further delays would not be tolerated.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2024