ISLAMABAD: The foreign office has said Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar will tomorrow, Saturday, address the World Climate Action Summit in Dubai, part of the UN Climate Change Conference 2023 (COP 28), and present Pakistan’s “vision for climate change.”
A deal to create a “loss and damage” fund was hailed as a breakthrough for developing country negotiators, headed by Pakistan, at COP27 in Egypt last year, overcoming years of resistance from wealthy nations. But since the summit, governments have struggled to reach consensus on the details of the fund, such as who will pay and where the fund will be located.
“He will address the summit tomorrow, where he will present Pakistan's vision for climate change, advocating for common commitments in mitigation, adaptation, climate finance, and the loss and damage fund,” the foreign office said about Kakar’s schedule.
“He will also emphasize equity and global cooperation for climate resilience. At COP28, Pakistan aims to collaborate with developing countries, for the operationalization of the 'loss and damage' fund, a meaningful outcome from the Global Stock Take, and the fulfillment of the long-overdue goal of mobilizing US$100 billion annually in climate finance.”
The UN climate summit clinched an early victory Thursday, with delegates adopting the new fund to help poor nations cope with costly climate disasters. In establishing the fund on the first day of the conference, delegates opened the door for governments to announce contributions. Initial pledges include $100 million from the COP28 host United Arab Emirates, at least $51 million from Britain, $17.5 million from the United States, and $10 million from Japan. Later, the European Union pledged $245.39 million, which included $100 million pledged by Germany.
Another task for the conference will be the global stocktake, an assessment of countries' progress in meeting the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°Celsius (3.6°Fahrenheit).
