Climate Crisis Decision-Making: The Voices of Global South Matter

Mehak Fatima

Climate Change is one of the most pressing issues of our time, and behind every statistic lies a vulnerable community bearing the impact. While the world debates the emissions, technologies, frameworks, and green transitions, the states least responsible for the greenhouse gas emissions are facing the harshest impacts. The Global South, despite contributing minimally to global emissions, emerged as the core victim of the crisis that it did not create. This is exactly why the climate narrative must shift, with climate justice being rooted in equity, based on the number of emissions each state produces. Without reframing this narrative, the vulnerable states will continue to pay the price for the crisis they did not cause.

Pakistan’s recurring climate disasters expose global inequality between emissions responsibility and climate vulnerability.

In my view, Pakistan exemplifies this reality. Responsible for less than one percent of the global carbon emissions, Pakistan is consistently ranked among the most climate-vulnerable countries. The devastating floods of 2022 led to the displacement of 33 million people. Just three years later, Pakistan experienced another wave of severe flooding, which led to severe flooding in Punjab, resulting in loss of lives, infrastructure, and displacement of people. Around 4.7 million people have been displaced in Punjab due to floods, while PDMA has confirmed that about 2.5 million acres of farmland were damaged in the province (OCHA Pakistan, n.d.). For Pakistan and many other countries across the Global South, climate change is not a distant threat but an immediate reality.

These experiences are a key flaw in the current climate frameworks: the failure to capture the asymmetry between responsibility and vulnerability. While the wealthier states invest in technological advancements and carbon neutrality, the vulnerable states are forced to grapple with disaster management and adaptation. In my opinion, climate change is not just an operational challenge. It’s about governance and accountability on the basis of equity in terms of contribution. The states that contribute minimally to global emissions should have fewer restrictions and be empowered to voice their concerns in international climate discussions. Recognizing their perspective as an essential component of policy-making is necessary for making effective frameworks to counter the climate crisis.

Equity-based climate justice requires that the Global South be strongly represented in key climate forums, including COP negotiations, and have access to financing and technology for climate adaptation. Initiatives like the Loss and Damage Fund, established under COP27, are significant, but their effectiveness is entirely based on converting the pledges into accessible support for affected communities. Without this, the gap between policy promises and on-ground realities will continue to widen, leaving vulnerable populations exposed to repeated crises.

Equity-based climate justice must prioritize Global South representation and access to adaptation financing.

The Global South bears heavy impacts despite minimal contribution to global emissions yet is told to  must “catch up” with the lead of the Global North, while bearing the heaviest impact. The discourse generated over the years around the Global South regarding climate change needs to be reframed based on equity and justice.

Therefore, climate justice is not about blame. It is about ensuring fairness. The states that contributed least to the crisis should not be penalized for it and should be given due say in the decision-making process of climate frameworks. For Pakistan and other countries of the Global South, climate change is a living reality. Therefore, their experiences must guide global strategies for tackling the climate crisis.

Equity-based policies, inclusive representation in decision-making and accessible support can ensure climate justice. By reframing the climate narrative around these principles, we can empower the most affected to lead, shaping a sustainable future built based on responsibility, justice and humanity. Centering the voices of the Global South is essential for building a climate narrative, one that is rooted in fairness, justice and shared responsibility.

The author is a Student of BS-IR at Air University, Islamabad, currently associated with PolicyEast.