Pakistan, China to jointly address climate change issue

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for addressing the climate change issue.

According to diplomatic sources, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Moin-ul-Haque, and Vice-Minister of Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Zhao Yingmin signed the MoU titled “Provision of Goods Under South-South Cooperation for Addressing Climate Change” at the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS).

China will assist Pakistan’s efforts to promote renewable energy and enhance its disaster management capabilities, especially in the areas of early warning, forecasting, monitoring, and disaster preparedness response systems through new arrangements.

China would support Pakistan through the provision of 5,000 sets of solar home systems and would offer capacity-building programs for Pakistani officials.

China is the first country that has offered such services for officials from Pakistan. Pakistan’s envoy thanked the Chinese side and commended the ongoing collaboration between the two brotherly countries to tackle the common challenge of climate change.

Ambassador Moin highly appreciated the Global Development Initiative (GDI), which aims to strengthen partnerships between developing countries for the attainment of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including efforts to promote climate action.

He recalled the timely Chinese support to Pakistan following the climate-induced floods of 2021.

The support was widely hailed in Pakistan as China was among the first countries that rushed for assistance to the victims. In November last year, Pakistan and China signed an MoU through which Pakistan became the first partner country of GDI, which lists climate change as a key area of cooperation.