Romina emphasises robust climate action

Islamabad: Coordinator to the prime minister on climate change Romina Khurshid Alam on Friday underscored the urgent need for robust climate action.

She was addressing a seminar on ‘COP 29 commitments to COP 30 action: A critical analysis,’ at the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) here. Her remarks followed the findings of the global stock take and the intergovernmental panel on climate change’s sixth assessment report, which highlighted that the world has failed to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C.

Romina highlighted Pakistan’s significant contributions at COP29, particularly in technical negotiations and bilateral engagements, positioning the country as a leader in global climate discussions.

She also addressed the importance of trusted and transparent cross-border carbon markets, which can reduce the cost of implementing nationally determined contributions by up to $250 billion annually, helping Pakistan enhance its climate action efforts.

Climate change ministry additional secretary Zulfiqar Younas and carbon market specialist Sana Rasool along with Dr. Faisal Abbas, Dr. Majid Ali, and Dr. Salman Atif from NUST shed light on carbon credit and the role of academia in efforts to mitigate climate impacts.

On financial opportunities, Romina highlighted the $300 billion annual core commitment under the Baku finance goal, along with projected $1 trillion in carbon market flows by 2050. "These financial resources could provide substantial relief for Pakistan in implementing climate plans, particularly in the areas of mitigation and adaptation. Pakistan must strategically position itself to access these financial flows to support its climate projects,” she said.

The prime minister's aide also discussed the potential for over $730 million pledged for projects starting in 2025, which could be leveraged to address the damages caused by climate-induced disasters, including the losses from the devastating 2022 floods.

On gender-responsive climate action, Romina pointed out the extension of the Lima work programme on gender, which presents an opportunity to empower grassroots women’s organisations and indigenous women in climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.