Sherry, German minister discuss global challenge of climate change

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman welcomed the Minister of State at the German Foreign Office, Dr Tobias Lindner at the Ministry of Climate Change in Islamabad on Monday. The minister was accompanied by the Ambassador of Germany to Pakistan Alfred Grannas, says a press release on .

During the meeting, the two ministers discussed the importance of international collaboration in addressing the global challenge of climate change. They exchanged ideas on possible areas of cooperation between Pakistan and Germany in the fields of renewable energy, climate adaptation, and mitigation.

Sherry Rehman highlighted Pakistan's vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events such as forest fires and heat waves, and the melting of glaciers in the North of Pakistan.

She expressed her appreciation for Germany's assistance to Pakistan in tackling climate change, particularly on the recently launched Strengthening Climate Adaptation and Resilience (SAR) project in partnership with GIZ and MoCC, and inclusion of Pakistan as one of the pathfinder countries for the global shield against climate risk.

The meeting concluded with a joint commitment to further strengthen the partnership between Pakistan and Germany in addressing the challenges of climate change and to work towards a sustainable future for all.

Sherry Rehman also met with Professor Jean Pascal Van Ypersele, the candidate for the post of Chair of the lntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), accompanied by the Ambassador of Belgium to Pakistan Charles Delogne. The meeting was held to discuss the current climate crisis and how the IPCC can better serve the needs of those most affected by climate change.

The delegation shared their condolences with the minister on the catastrophic floods that devastated Pakistan in 2022 and affected 33 million people. Professor Ypersele conveyed his commitment to making the IPCC more inclusive and responsive to the needs of communities most impacted by climate change.

Sherry Rehman warmly welcomed Professor Ypersele's candidacy and expressed his best wishes for his endeavors. She emphasized the importance of IPCC’s role in global cooperation and collaboration to address the urgent challenges of climate change and its impacts on vulnerable communities.