LAHORE: Experts at a panel discussion urged for mobilising diplomatic channels to seek global commitments on greenhouse gas emission reduction and phase out fossil fuel consumption at upcoming COP-28.
The panel discussion titled ‘Increasing Climatic Resilience in Punjab and Launch of Research Studies on climate issues’ was organised by Sustainable Development Policy Institute here Wednesday.
Speaking at the event, Ahmed Rafay Alam, Senior Environmental Lawyer, highlighted global climate injustice and remarked that while in 2022 Pakistan witnessed devastating floods and endured US$30 billion worth of losses, global fossil fuel giants made record profits. The lack of concrete commitment to phase out fossil fuel consumption and the record profits made by fossil fuel companies resulting in upward trends in temperature highlights the failure of the Conference of Parties in providing climate justice, he said. He said that while in 2022, with robust diplomacy Pakistan managed to lobby the establishment of Loss and Damage fund, its operationalisation remained an immense challenge. The operationalisation was further complicated by the lack of clarity on how climate finance contributions will be calculated, collected, and mobilised, mechanisms for transparent finance utilisation etc.
At the national level, he urged that punitive measures must be expanded to polluting industries to counter the challenges of smog and greenhouse gas emissions instead of arresting poor farmers for burning crop residue.
Dr Shafqat Munir, Deputy Executive Director, SDPI, shedding light on the climate financing issues remarked that ‘Global North pledged to mobilise US$100 billion to developing countries by 2020 for climate action, yet it remained a promise unfulfilled. With climate change affecting countries indiscriminately, climate financing from the Global North has become a far-fetched dream.’
In this situation, the developing countries must take responsibility of their own future, harness indigenous solutions and mobilise local funding to combat the climate crisis, he suggested. Discussing national policy instruments on climate action, he urged that National Adaptation Plan must be referred to while PC1 projects were developed for concerted national climate action and bridge the financing gap by leveraging local financing. He urged that the action plan should identify financing avenues linking it to the mid-term budgetary framework. Dr Shazia Pervaiz, Deputy Director of Punjab Environment Protection Department stressed the mitigation of anthropogenic greenhouse gas from livestock and rice cultivation in agriculture. At household level, she said that expanding access to clean cooking fuels not only mitigates carbon emissions from domestic sector but also reduce the burden on public health, she said and informed that the Punjab Environment Protection Department has been conducting awareness campaigns to tackle the issue of smog being exacerbated by burning of agricultural residue. However, the challenges persist as many farmers face financial constraints hindering the adoption of eco-friendly practices for crop residue management, leading to the department taking punitive measures against the practice.
Dr Zahid Younis, Deputy Director at the Directorate of Environmental Health, Dengue Control and Hazardous Waste (EDH), Punjab Environment Protection Department, expressed that every individual held the responsibility for climate action, as our choices and behaviors significantly impact our carbon footprint.