Speaking at a pivotal climate finance roundtable during the 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP29), Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif underscored the urgent need for substantial financial commitments to support developing nations in facing climate challenges. Addressing global leaders, Sharif called for a significant increase in climate funding, advocating for $6 trillion to be mobilized by 2030.
Highlighting the critical situation faced by developing countries, the prime minister noted, “We need urgent climate finance to tackle issues brought by environmental changes.” He stressed that these nations are often underfunded, making them ill-equipped to deal with increasingly severe climate impacts.
Sharif emphasized the importance of meeting and surpassing previous commitments. “While a climate finance goal of $100 billion annually was set in 2009, it is now crucial to increase this target as the world grapples with the extensive impacts of climate change,” he said. He also referenced Pakistan’s own experiences with devastating floods that have severely strained the country’s resources and recovery efforts, urging developed nations to align their financial support with UN climate agreements.
The call to action comes as global discussions on climate change reach a critical juncture, with many countries pushing for stronger measures and more substantial financial contributions to meet environmental and humanitarian challenges.
