ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has signed multiple agreements during the international climate change conference, 26th Conference of Parties (COP-26), under which Germany would provide 150 million euro and the United Kingdom (UK) would give 50 million Pound as climate change assistance to Pakistan.
Addressing a press conference regarding the COP-26 held from November 1 to 12 in Glasgow, Scotland, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam on Thursday said that under the agreements, the German and UK governments would provide the assistance for nature conservation and support for the nature bonds initiative of Pakistan.
Talking about achievements in the international event, Malik Amin said Pakistan in recognition of its leading environmental conservation and climate action efforts bagged two global titles, elected as Vice President and member to eight important committees at the COP-26.
He said the world at the highest forum on environment has agreed to the vision based on two main agendas of conserving forests and reducing carbon emissions or reliance on fuel based energy to achieve net zero emissions which the Prime Minister of Pakistan gave three years back.
Amin said the COP-16 was attended by some 196 countries and around 140 heads of states in the mega environmental moot in Glasgow where Prime Minister Imran Khan was also going to attend it but his engagement was cancelled for some certain reasons.
He informed that Pakistan was awarded the title of Forestry Champion along with Congo and Costa Rica at the third place due to its ambitious Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Plantation project.
Moreover, the UK organized Nature Leaders initiative only invited Maldives, Costa Rica, Gabon and Pakistan to take the honour of leading nations on climate action and conservation, he added.
At the end of the conference, he said Pakistan was elected as vice president to the COP for one year and member to eight significant committees on finance, adaptation fund, climate experts, Paris Agreement Monitoring. “These bodies will lead the future negotiations at the next COP to be held in 2022,” he added.
The SAPM further mentioned that Pakistan was also made chair to the G-77 plus China Group for the first time which would chaired by the country in January 2022, adding, “Almost 80 countries are member to this group where Pakistan will lead the negotiations at the forum on behalf of the member states,” Amin Aslam said.
He underlined that the German Chancellor and Canadian Prime Minister told him that they were waiting to hear Prime Minister Imran Khan’s address at the COP-26 but felt his absence at the global conference. “I was leading the delegation and also conveyed Prime Minister Imran Khan’s message at the COP-26,” he added.
He said that the Pakistani pavilion at the COP-26 was one of the famous places and it hosted 25 sideline events and over 50 bilateral meetings were organized at the pavilion.
The Asian Development Bank, he said, has also selected Pakistan along with Indonesia, Philippines and Indonesia, to study the conversion of fossil fuel based energy plants over renewable energy.
“Pakistan has also signed an MOU with the UAE and supported the chairmanship of the COP-28 for UAE as the decision was to be made by Pakistan,” he added.
Moreover, he lambasted the Indian prime minister for his non-serious commitment of net zero emissions by 2070 and decision to phase down Coal Power Plants at the COP-26. “India has played the role of a spoiled child at the event and I told the global leaders that it was a non-serious state on climate change. Its net zero emissions pledge made her a laughing stock for the entire Conference,” he said.
In reply to a query, Amin Aslam said that under the green energy initiatives, Pakistan would be converting the coal based power plants to renewable energy in phases for which Chinese firms were also being consulted.
