Germany says committed to climate, energy initiatives in Pakistan

Islamabad : Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy in Islamabad Dr. Sebastian Paust has said that his country is strongly committed to climate and energy initiatives in Pakistan, with investments already surpassing 500 million euros.

“We [Germany] are steadfast in our promise and have delivered six billion euros towards the new collective, quantified goal on climate finance. As a pathfinder country of the global shield, Pakistan will be better equipped to protect its vulnerable communities from climate shocks,” Dr Paust said in a message ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, more commonly known as COP29, to be hosted by Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11 to November 22.

The development aid expert said that Germany was supporting Pakistan in developing an emissions trading system to unlock carbon finance, payment for the delivery of emission reductions.

He said that his country recognised that resources alone were insufficient without the requisite skills and solutions, so its focus remained on transferring knowledge, skills and technology to truly enhance ambition and enable action.

Dr Paust said that Pakistan was witnessing the worst consequences from climate change, so there was a need to prevent climate disasters in the country.

“With Pakistan’s voice heard prominently in the international climate forum like COP, we should all work together to find solutions for this big challenge," he said.

The development cooperation adviser urged all stakeholders in Pakistan to come up with long-term solutions for the challenge.

With COP29 just a few weeks away, he said that he was confident that the collective will and concerted efforts of the global community would drive significant progress in Baku.

“The COP Presidency has wisely set forth two pivotal pillars: enhancing ambition and enabling action. Our climate targets must transcend mere documentation,” he said.

Dr Paust said that those climate targets should catalyse real economic transformation and serve as central guides for sustainable development and investment.