LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz left for Brazil to attend the climate moot — COP30 being held in the city of Belém from Thursday to Nov 21.

“CM Maryam departed for Belém, Brazil, to participate in the COP30. During the event, she will brief participants on Punjab’s flagship projects — Suthra Punjab (Clean Punjab) and e-mobility initiatives,” a government statement said on Thursday.

In a post on X before her departure, the CM said: “Departing for COP30 Belem, Brazil, taking Punjab’s climate transformation journey from Suthra Punjab to E-Mobility, AQI Leadership, and Wildlife Protection to the world stage.”

She further said she was proud to represent a new wave of climate leadership from Pakistan rooted in innovation, inclusion and a shared responsibility for our planet.

Punjab govt keeping mum over members of CM’s delegation

“I look forward to meaningful stakeholder dialogues with world leaders, scientists, and innovators to advance shared solutions for our planet’s future,” she maintained.

In the 30th UN Climate Change Conference or COP30, nearly 200 countries are meeting to review progress under the Paris Agreement and plan the next steps to limit global warming. This event comes 10 years after the Paris Agreement and halfway to 2030 — the deadline for many national climate targets.

According to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), emissions are dropping in some areas.

“If current policies continue, scientists warn that the world could warm by 2.6°C to 2.8°C by the end of the century. COP30 could become a turning point — or another missed chance,” it says.

According to the Punjab government, during the conference, Maryam Nawaz is scheduled to hold meetings with several prominent global leaders.

“The CM is expected to meet the vice presidents of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), representatives and directors from the World Bank Climate Change Division and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), as well as officials from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),” says government and adds that Ms Nawaz’s visit to Brazil holds great significance in the context of environmental policy and climate action.

The Punjab government is keeping mum on who is part of the CM’s delegation. Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, who also holds the environment ministry, is said to be accompanying the CM along with some top bureaucrats but no official word has been dropped in this respect. Besides, the Maryam administration also chose not to say a word whether the CM had left for Brazil on a chartered plane or opted for any foreign airlines. No footage of her departure at Lahore airport was released to the media.

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari did not respond to Dawn’s queries in this regard.

Sources believe that controversy surrounding CM Maryam’s ‘official visit’ to Japan in August last over the ‘private individuals’, including her family members, as a part of it, forced the PML-N government to keep her Brazil tour in low profile.

Maryam had to face scathing criticism over the inclusion of her family members and their friends as a part of her Japan visit that raised questions about spending a huge sum of money from the exchequer with impunity.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2025