Daily Times

Experts at a panel discussion here on Wednesday urged to mobilise diplomatic channels at upcoming COP-28, to seek global commitments on reduction of greenhouse gas emission and phase out of fossil fuel consumption.

The panel discussion titled “Increasing Climatic Resilience in Punjab and Launch of Research Studies on climate issues” was organised by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), in collaboration with Oxfam Pakistan, Strengthening Participatory Organisation.

Senior Environmental Lawyer, Ahmed Rafay Alam while speaking at the event, highlighted the global climate injustice and remarked that in 2022, Pakistan witnessed devastating floods and endured US$30 billion worth of losses, whereas global fossil fuel giants made record profits.

The lack of concrete commitment to phase out fossil fuel consumption and the record profits made by fossil fuel companies resulting in upward trends in temperature highlights the failure of the Conference of Parties in providing climate justice, he said. He further added that while in 2022, with robust diplomacy Pakistan managed to lobby the establishment of Loss and Damage fund, its operationalization remains an immense challenge. The operationalization is further complicated by the lack of clarity on how climate finance contributions will be calculated, collected, and mobilized, mechanisms for transparent finance utilization etc.

At the national level, he urged that punitive measures must expand to polluting industries to counter the challenges of smog and greenhouse gas emissions instead of arresting poor farmers for burning crop residuals.

Dr Shafqat Munir, Deputy Executive Director, SDPI shedding light on the climate financing issues remarked that Global North pledged to mobilize US$100Billion to developing countries by 2020 for climate action, yet it remains a promise unfulfilled.

With climate change affecting countries, indiscriminately, climate financing from the Global North has become a far-fetched dream.” In this situation the developing countries must take responsibility of their own future, harness indigenous solutions and mobilize local funding to combat the climate crisis. Discussing national policy instruments on climate action, he urged that National Adaptation Plan must be referred while PC1 projects are developed for concerted national climate action and bridge the financing gap by leveraging local financing. He further added that the Action Plan identifies financing avenues linking it to the mid-term budgetary framework.

Dr Shazia Pervaiz, Deputy Director of Punjab Environment Protection Department stressed the mitigation of anthropogenic greenhouse gas from livestock and rice cultivation in agriculture. At household level, she said that expanding access to clean cooking fuels not only mitigates carbon emissions from domestic sector but also reduce the burden on public health. She informed that the Punjab Environment Protection Department has been conducting awareness campaigns to tackle the issue of Smog being exacerbated by burning of agricultural residue. However, the challenges persist as many farmers face financial constraints hindering the adoption of eco-friendly practices for crop residue management, leading to the Department taking punitive measures against the practice.

Dr. Zahid Younis, Deputy Director at the Directorate of Environmental Health, Dengue Control and Hazardous Waste (EDH), Punjab Environment Protection Department, expressed that every individual holds the responsibility for climate action, as our choices and behaviors significantly impact our carbon footprint. “Meaningful change begins with each one of us”, he said. Stressing the significance of community preparedness, he said that conducting capacity building among climate vulnerable communities is critical to enable effective and swift response during climate disasters, such as floods. He further said that ‘we must prioritize reforestation to create carbon sinks to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide which contributes to global warming’. Robust vigilance and enforcement of environmental laws in the industrial sector is necessary to inhibit carbon emissions, he said.

Durre Shehwar, General Secretary Punjab Climate Action Network (PCAN), remarked, “Climate change is not just a national or international issue but a personal issue”. Sensitizing the public about their carbon and water footprint is vital to inspire changes in individual consumption behaviors and spur meaningful actions to mitigate the threats of climate change. Meanwhile it may be mentioned here that the UAE will host the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) from November 30 to December 12, 2023 at Expo City Dubai to unite the world towards agreement on bold, practical and ambitious solutions to the most pressing global challenge of the time. COP28 is of particular significance as it marks the conclusion of the first Global Stock-take, a comprehensive assessment of the progress made in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. Acknowledging that the world is off-track, the COP28-Presidency has said in a statement recently that it will work to keep the 1.5C goal alive and ensure that the world responds to the Stock-take with a clear plan of action, including measures that need to be put in place to bridge the gaps in progress. Sustainable agriculture will also feature prominently on the agenda at COP28, where participants will seek to spur innovation in how food is grown and produced.

A senior official told APP at SDPI debate today that as host, the UAE will mobilise action around a “major course correction” to accelerate emissions reductions while ensuring energy security. He highlighted the role of the UAE in building bridges to advance international efforts at COP28, with a special focus on the Global South and countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.