PAKISTAN’S climate crisis demands massive policy reforms and substantial financial resources to build national resilience. While the government is committed to achieving ambitious targets through its 2025 NDCs, the institutional framework for mobilising resources is fragmented. The Rules of Business (RoB), 1973, are ambiguous on the division responsible for accessing climate finance, negotiating domestic and international private sector investments and climate-proofing sectoral policies. Accountability vacuums have resulted, undermining the state’s capacity to manage critical climate resources.

Financial Authority: Under RoB, mobilising international climate finance requires consensus among at least four divisions — finance, economic affairs, planning and climate — with no single one holding a clear lead mandate. The Finance Division under Rule 12 requires mandatory concurrence for climate initiatives affecting finances. The Economic Affairs Division (EAD) is designated by Rule 56 as the statutory channel for external assistance. Climate-proofing the PSDP still falls outside the Planning Division’s allocated business. Other functions, including soliciting investments and regulating the private sector’s involvement, are distributed across multiple divisions.

The climate ministry handles climate policy formulation, yet RoB’s Schedule II doesn’t give it a role in initiating financial mobilisation or donor negotiations. While it oversees national climate goals and reports on multilateral environmental agreements it lacks mandate over climate-proofing expenditure, loans, investments, sectoral policies or budgets. Schedule II observes that no division, including climate, has a full mandate over mobilising financial resources, private sector engagement, PSDP........

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