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COP-29 Truce appeals to the world to set aside their political differences, join forces under one umbrella, and focus on climate action to bring together the world powers for global solidarity in combating climate-related threats. For Pakistan is one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, COP-29 offers a unique opportunity for Pakistan to underscore its challenges including mitigating the impact of devastating and destructive 2022 floods and securing essential funding and technical assistance from the global community.
COP-29 calls for global solidarity to address climate threats, emphasizing the need to set aside political differences.
Amid the stress for clean energy, Pakistan is likely to advocate for rightful climate finance and a fresh commitment to low-income nations by the Global North to set aside the political divide and cooperate for long-term climatic solutions for a sustainable future.
The global climate crisis is a blatant picture of inequality. Marking its impact on everyone’s life, the roots of the problem can be traced back to the industrial advancement of the Global North transcending the crisis to the Global South particularly countries like Pakistan, bearing immense burden.
The phenomenon is generally known as climate colonialism in which the past trends of exploitation and domination continue to structure the contemporary environmental landscape. Pakistan, despite releasing minimal carbon emissions to the global environment and standing at less than one percent, endures unforgiving climatic impact underscoring the inequity at the heart of this crisis.
Historically, the Global North has accounted for over 92% of global carbon emissions, implying an irrefutable moral and economic responsibility to address the climate crisis they have mainly caused. Nevertheless, promises for financial and technical support from the Global North are often not fulfilled. This consistent failure demands accountability and transparency from the developed nations to see that climate finance reaches those communities where it is most needed.
UN Habitat’s Global Climate Risk Index accounts Pakistan for fifth most vulnerable country to climate change, with climate-related disasters such as floods, droughts, and glacial melts. The 2022 floods alone affected 33 million people left over 1,700 dead and involved financial losses of more than USD 14.8 billion.
Pakistan, one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, seeks funding and support to recover from the devastating 2022 floods.
Pakistan’s development, already hampered by colonialism and economic challenges, is being further strangled as the country deals with increasing climate disasters. It is estimated that climate change has been costing Pakistan’s economy about USD 14 billion per year or 5% of its GDP, and by 2050, this can possibly lead to a 18-20% decline in terms of GDP due to environmental degradation and air pollution.
Notching up one of the most prominent steps Pakistan made at COP-28 in Dubai toward handling climate colonialism is pushing for the Loss and Damage Fund to help susceptible countries bear the losses caused by climate change. Pakistan managed to get pledges for this fund amounting to USD 792 million but is still far off from its goal also considering the damages wrought by recurring floods.
COP-29 presents a challenge as well as an opportunity for Pakistan; where much-needed climate financing for adaptation projects like “Recharge Pakistan,” using nature-based solutions to build resilience, can be secured but question remains whether this would actually translate into real support for vulnerable countries.
Counterbalancing climate colonialism demands a holistic response from developed countries to accept historic remorse over emissions and offer real financial reparation to the climate-vulnerable nations. Though the initiative of the Green Climate Fund is effective but inadequate to regulate climatic irregularities, accentuating abundant investment in sustainable infrastructure, climate resilience, and green energy transitions to help the Global South deal with the crisis. Moreover, access to affordable clean technologies and climate-adaptive infrastructure; and steady adaptation funding must be accessible for developing countries.
Historical emissions from the Global North impose an inequitable burden on countries like Pakistan, which contribute minimally to global carbon emissions.
This climate colonialism is actually a continuation of historical exploitation where the actions of the Global North continue to shape the vulnerabilities of the Global South. Pakistan’s climate crisis, despite its minimal carbon footprint, illustrates the profound inequity embedded in the climate crisis.
Transcending short-term solutions and dismantling climate colonialism through global policies of systemic change, requires prioritizing climate justice, reparations, and equitable redistribution of climate responsibilities. Only by sustained, equitable, and collaborative efforts on the part of the global community will climate change finally be combated and a sustainable future for all be built.
Sayyeda Aqsa Sajjad is PhD Scholar (IR-NDU) and has worked on various public policy issues as Policy Researcher in different Think-Tanks. Currently she is working as Research Associate-NUST Institute of Policy Studies. She can be reached at researchassociate1.nips@nust.edu.pk
