Pakistan PM Sharif terms ‘loss and damage fund’ at COP27 summit a pivotal step towards climate justice
Sherry Rehman says fund is not charity but investment in our joint future
Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has welcomed the establishment of a “loss and damage” fund at the COP27 climate summit and termed it as the “first pivotal step towards the goal of climate justice.”
In a tweet on Sunday, the Prime Minister acknowledged the efforts of the Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman and her team for highlighting the issue particularly in the context of the effects of climate change on Pakistan’s economy and infrastructure.
In her keynote address at the Parliamentary Meeting at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-27), Sherry Rehman had warned the world against inaction and drawn its attention towards the catastrophe of climate change in Pakistan.
“The establishment of loss & damage fund at the UN climate summit is the first pivotal step towards the goal of climate justice. It is up to the transitional committee to build on the historic development. I appreciate @sherryrehman & her team for their contribution & hard work,” said the prime minister in his tweet.
In another tweet, Prime Minister Sharif called the establishment of the loss & damage fund, a result of proactive climate diplomacy and hard work of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
“It is a manifestation of excellent climate diplomacy that made this possible. My appreciation is due to FM Bilawal Bhutto & all the teams that worked on this file,” said the premier.
He also referred to the recently-held G-77 plus China summit where “Pakistan successfully led the effort for acceptance of the demand for #LossAndDamage.”
Fund adopted after intense discussions hailed by UN SG
On the concluding day of the COP27 summit in Egypt, the participating countries adopted a final agreement to establish a fund to help the poor nations cope with the extreme weather events caused by global warming.
Following the long hours of negotiations throughout the night, the summit’s Egyptian presidency released a draft text of the overall agreement early on Sunday and also called a plenary session to push the document through as the final, overarching agreement for the UN summit.
The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres also welcomed the establishment of the fund.
“I welcome the decision to establish a loss and damage fund and to operationalize it in the coming period,” he said in a tweet.
Sherry Rehman hails landmark achievement
Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman on Sunday termed the establishment of the Loss and Damage Fund a landmark achievement and the international moot as an implementation conference that fulfilled the long-standing goal.
While representing the G-77 plus China group statement at the concluding plenary of the international climate change conference, she said the ultimate test of the COP27 was how it responded to the voices of the vulnerable.
“We have struggled for thirty years for this path and achieved it. This fund is clearly the down payment in our joint futures and investment in our coming generations,” she said adding “the establishment of the Fund is not about dispensing charity but rather an investment in our joint future.”