Amir Khan

The climate crisis poses a serious challenge to the world’s governments, with far-reaching political implications. It threatens human security and stability, and increases the risk of conflicts, said Ahmad Aslam, an environmental specialist at the World Bank, during a conversation with WealthPK. Addressing this crisis necessitates a united global effort that is both strategic and ambitious. This is where the concept of climate diplomacy comes into play. As per Aslam, Pakistan employed its climate diplomacy to secure a $10 billion aid package at the recent COP27 climate summit. Nonetheless, there is an untapped potential that could have been harnessed for greater benefits. Given its role as the host nation, Pakistan has a distinct opportunity to highlight the issue of climate injustice. Inequity prevails since developed countries have historically emitted more carbon than developing nations, and they persist in doing so to uphold their already established infrastructure.

Therefore, Pakistan should have advocated for a larger portion of the aid package, considering the role of developed nations in causing the climate crisis. Climate diplomacy involves devising comprehensive risk assessment and management strategies on a global strategic scale. This entails prioritizing collaborative climate action through diplomatic discussions, public outreach, and external policy tools with global partners. According to Aslam, the climate crisis not only imperils livelihoods and progress but also triggers substantial geopolitical concerns regarding territorial integrity, sovereignty, and access to vital resources like water, food, and energy. The escalating frequency and intensity of extreme weather events exacerbate the vulnerability of nations like Pakistan, which are already susceptible to the climate change impacts.

He went on to emphasize that Pakistan's climate diplomacy should centre on constructing a development model resilient to climate change, prioritizing adaptation, and encouraging responsible involvement from Western nations in domains such as financing and technology transfer. Collaborative technological cooperation for environmental purposes can result in sustainable partnerships that extend globally. This, in turn, can exert a positive influence on worldwide collaboration. Therefore, if Pakistan can aptly articulate its national priorities, it can establish a more rational engagement with the international climate change discourse. Moreover, Pakistan holds the potential to play a constructive role in addressing climate change by collaborating with its neighbouring countries to craft shared solutions.

By integrating climate change into its foreign policy framework, Pakistan can position itself as a conscientious global leader. One of the pressing challenges for Pakistan in tackling climate change is the lack of direct access to concessional climate finance. The nation requires increased financial aid from developed countries to effectively adapt to climate change and transition towards a low-carbon economy. Another hindrance lies in Pakistan's limited capacity to utilize and absorb finances secured on its behalf by external entities. Even when climate finance is received, the nation often struggles with efficient allocation due to governmental capacity and coordination constraints.

Credit: INP-WealthPk