The prime minister led a review meeting regarding COP-28 with inter-provincial representatives. The meeting was attended by caretaker federal ministers for finance, foreign affairs, climate change, planning, and relevant officials, as stated by the PM Office Media Wing.
PM Kakar emphasized that climate change is a matter of national significance for countries like Pakistan and highlighted Pakistan’s constructive role in the global climate debate through climate diplomacy.
He acknowledged that despite Pakistan’s minimal contribution to global climate change factors (less than one percent), the country is profoundly affected by the changes, with one third of the population severely impacted by climate-induced floods.
The prime minister also commended the country’s relevant institutions and organizations for their exemplary efforts in post-flood reconstruction.
PM Kakar instructed the relevant authorities to fully prepare for effectively representing Pakistan’s stance on climate finance and other issues during COP-28.
What is COP28?
Over 30 years ago, more than 150 countries signed a UN treaty to limit the alarming rise of planet-warming pollution in the atmosphere.
The first COP — the “Conference of the Parties” to that agreement — took place in Berlin in 1995. Member states have been convening on climate change almost every year since.
In 2015, at COP21, more than 190 countries approved the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, but preferably to 1.5 degrees.
Although the Paris Agreement was a landmark moment and set the world on a path that scientists supported, it didn’t get specific about how countries should achieve its goal. Since then, COPs have sought to make the plans attached to the Paris Agreement more ambitious and to be more specific about the changes society would need to make.
More than 160 member nations, including the UK, France, Germany, and Japan, have confirmed their attendance. Heads of states and governments deliver speeches in the first days of the summit.