Pakistan slams ‘global hypocrisy’ on climate finance

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s climate minister on Tuesday accused wealthy nations of “global hypocrisy” for demanding developing countries go greener while withholding climate finance, saying nations like Pakistan — among the lowest carbon emitters but hardest hit by climate disasters — are being unfairly punished in the new world order.

Federal Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik said that while Pakistan emits less than 1 percent of global greenhouse gases, it is bearing the brunt of floods, droughts and debt pressures. “Forty percent of emissions come from just two countries and 10 nations are responsible for 75 percent — yet they receive 85 percent of global green financing,” Malik said. “Meanwhile, countries like ours are told to be greener or face carbon taxes. What a hypocrisy.”

He was speaking at the inaugural plenary of the 4-day 28th Sustainable Development Conference, titled: Sustainable Development in the Emerging World Dis/Order, organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute. Alongside this mega event, 16th South Asia Economic Summit (SAES), 3rd Sustainability Investment Expo (SIE) and 9th South and South-West Asia Subregional Forum on Sustainable Development (UNESCAP) were also the part of the conference.

Malik criticised international lenders for asking Pakistan to “repurpose” funds meant for education and social welfare to rebuild infrastructure destroyed by climate disasters. When we ask for support, they tell us to redirect what little we have, he said.

Bangladesh’s environment adviser Syeda Rizwana Hassan echoed the concerns, warning that multilateralism is “losing ground” amid growing political unrest in South Asia. She said worsening natural disasters, soil degradation and regional disputes — particularly between upper and lower riparian nations — threaten millions of lives.