ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin AslamFriday said Pakistan has managed to get two environment friendly projectsunder Global Climate Fund (GCF) to mitigate climate change risks beingfaced by the country.
The first eco-friendly transport project of the world Zero Emissionreleasing Metro Bus in Karachi of worth US$ 50 million have been awarded byGCF whereas Climate Smart Agriculture project was also in the final stagesof its launch.
Addressing to a ‘Media Debriefing on COP24, Poland and Way forward forPakistan’ organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) incollaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change, Climate Action NetworkSouth Asia (CANSA) Pakistan and Zalmi Foundation, the prime ministeradviser on climate change informed the media about achievements andprogress of the country in the 24th Conference of Parties (COP-24) underUnited Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held fromDec 3-14 in Katowice, Poland.
Pakistan had participated with a vibrant team of experts and officials whoefficiently engaged in different negotiations held under the conferencewhich really provided the country due consideration and attention of theother parties of the conference to plead her case at the global forum, headded.
“The Billion Tree Tsunami also came under discussion at the negotiations ofCOP-24 whereas it was the main focus of the government to realize thegovernment that despite Pakistan under direct and stark impact of climatechange had spent her own resources to serve the global cause other thandemanding any financial assistance,” he remarked.
Malik Amin Aslam said that unlike former COP meetings Pakistan for thefirst time became member of five committees under the convention along withmembership of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Executive Board and ClimateFinance Committee.
“The earlier 60-member delegation of Pakistan in 2017 sent to participatein COP spent Rs25 million whereas this time it was the smallest everdelegation attending COP-24 with eight members delegation of experts,” heremarked.
Before COP-24, he said Pakistan was in no side happening whereas afterparticipating in the conference 10 side events were attended with arigorous involvement in the negotiations acclaimed by the world, addingthree side events were hence chaired by Pakistan.
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“Pakistan launched the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) inchair at one sideline event, in the second Climate Smart Agriculture Reportand consequently in the third event Eco-system based Adaptationinitiative,” he said.
As a result of its effective participation and high level politicalleadership, Pakistan has been elected as the ‘Vice President andRapporteur’ of the Conference of Parties (COP) to the United NationsFramework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which is the secondhighest position at the UN Climate Convention,” he said.
He said, “Besides negotiations, I also held meetings with profiled expertsand institutional representatives including; former Governor of CaliforniaArnold Schwarzenegger, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange, dignitaries from Government of United Arab Emirates, AsianDevelopment Bank, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN),World Wide Fund, NDC Partnership and many others hence, explained theextreme climate vulnerability of the country.”
The adviser mentioned that Pakistan realized the world about theircommitment of US$100 billion to the Global Climate Fund that had onlymanaged to provide US$ 6.5 billion to the developing countries forfinancing climate change risk mitigating projects.
Malik Amin Aslam said that the negotiations remained intact within thecountry’s set agenda and priorities during various sessions, conciliationand side events and agreed on the Rule Book pledged under Paris Accord 2015of COP-21.
