Climate Change Knows No Borders, Says PM Shehbaz

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the high-level session of the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, that climate change “knows no borders” and can only be tackled through collective international action rather than isolated national efforts.

Call to Honour Climate Commitments

The prime minister urged the international community to fulfil its climate-related promises to developing countries. He said nations most exposed to extreme weather need predictable support to adapt and recover.

Pakistan’s Vulnerability

Shehbaz noted that Pakistan is highly vulnerable to extreme weather despite contributing less than 1% of global carbon emissions. He pointed to climate-related floods that have affected about 33 million people in the country. He recalled that one-third of Pakistan was submerged during the devastating 2022 floods.

Pakistan’s Climate Action

The prime minister said Pakistan has set a target of cutting emissions by 50% by 2035. He also pointed to 20 megawatts of added rooftop solar capacity as part of the country’s cleaner energy efforts.

Thanks to Türkiye

Shehbaz congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the people of Türkiye on hosting COP31 and thanked them for their hospitality. He also praised Türkiye’s support for Pakistan during the 2022 floods.