Pakistan striving to tackle climate change: minister

Islamabad: Though ranked among the 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change, Pakistan is striving to tackle the phenomenon through comprehensive policies, plans and actions.

He was addressing the 'pre-COP 23 consultative dialogue framing Pakistan’s agenda on mitigation and adaption' organised by the Civil Society Coalition for Climate Change with the collaboration of Ministry of Climate Change here on Tuesday.

The minister told participants that his ministry had achieved remarkable milestone during the last four years. He added that among those milestones were ratification of the Paris Climate Agreement, submission of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, Green Pakistan Programme, approval of Forest Policy from Council of Common Interest, passing of Climate Change Act, declaring Astola Island first marine protected area of Pakistan, reforming Global Change Impact Study Centre and adoption Sustainable Goals as National goals by the National Assembly.

The minister said the recent legislation on climate change would provide a framework for tackling the impacts of a change in the world’s climate and strengthening the country’s climate resilience and adaptation.

He said by passing and enforcing the Climate Change Act, Pakistan became the fifth country in the world to adopt a specific legislation on climate change. The minister called for the highlighting of the positive development at COP-23 to update the international community about Pakistan’s achievements on the climate change front.

Director General (environment) Irfan Tariq, who was also in attendance, said the conference of Parties was held every year and Pakistan was playing an active role in it. Executive director of the Global Change Impact Study Centre Dr Tariq Banuri said climate change was on the global agenda and that collective efforts were needed against it. “We must develop pro-active proposals for COP-23 in order to play active role in global mitigation group,” he added.