COP30: Pakistan’s gains amid fossil fuel hesitation |
THE recently concluded COP30 climate summit in Belem, Brazil, highlighted both the urgency of the climate crisis and the limits of international consensus. While world leaders agreed to scale up climate finance, the summit once again sidestepped the central issue of fossil fuels – the very driver of climate-altering global warming. For countries like Pakistan, already on the frontline of climate impacts, COP30 offered both hope and stark reminders of the uphill battle ahead. The summit’s headline achievement was the pledge by wealthy nations to triple adaptation funding for vulnerable countries. This is a vital recognition of the reality being confronted by developing nations like Pakistan, where climate shocks such as glacial lake outburst floods, heatwaves and floods inflict disproportionate harm despite the country’s minimal historical emissions. Yet, the agreement’s timeline -2035 for the tripling of the adaptation fund – falls short of the urgency demanded by climate science and climate action advocates. As UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell cautioned, “I’m not saying we’re winning the climate fight. But we are undeniably still in it and we are fighting back.”
Pakistan, represented effectively at COP30, ensured its adaptation needs were recognized. The country’s leadership projected its NDC3.0 commitments and........