Pakistan, which has been ravaged by unprecedented floods this year, on Sunday welcomed the historic decision of the COP27 summit to establish a fund to address losses and damages caused by climate-related disasters. Sunday’s COP27 climate summit in Egypt made history by deciding to establish a fund to address climate change losses and damages suffered by vulnerable countries.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the development as “a crucial first step towards the goal of climate justice”. “Establishing a loss and damage fund at the UN climate summit is a crucial first step towards the goal of climate justice. It is up to the transition committee to build on historical developments,” he wrote on Twitter. More than 1,700 people have been killed, 33 million displaced and a third of the country submerged under water in the worst floods to hit Pakistan, brought on by record rainfall since mid-June.
The consensus decision taken at COP27 is a “significant achievement” especially for the Group of 77 and China, as developing countries have been demanding such a fund for the past 30 years, the Foreign Office said in a statement. A dedicated “Loss and Damage Fund” will address loss and damage in developing countries such as Pakistan, which are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.
“Catastrophic climate change triggered floods in Pakistan earlier this year that resulted in more than $30 billion in loss and damage, refocusing global attention on this critical issue,” the State Department said. Pakistan, as chair of the Group of 77, and China supported the establishment of the fund at COP 27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, first by placing it on the conference agenda and then pushing for a consensus agreement.
Pakistan congratulated the developing countries for their exemplary solidarity and persistence in advancing their case for the establishment of a loss and damage fund.”We also appreciate the understanding and cooperation of developed countries in recognizing the urgency to act in the event of loss and damage,” it said. Pakistan also appreciates Egypt’s COP27 presidency, especially Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, as well as UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell for this historic breakthrough, the FO said.
“We look forward to the early launch of the fund with the hope that it will bridge a major gap in the climate finance architecture,” he said. As part of its climate diplomacy and given the fact that it is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries, Pakistan will continue to contribute constructively to the global climate change discussion, negotiations and actions, he added. PM Sharif also thanked Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman and her team for their hard work.
In his tweet, Rehman said: “It has been a long 30-year journey from the demand to the establishment of the Loss and Damage Fund for 134 countries. We welcome today’s announcement and the joint text hammered out over many nights.” Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari hailed a “monumental achievement” for climate justice in a series of tweets. “After experiencing firsthand the scale and devastation of Pakistan’s floods, we traveled to the UN General Assembly to advocate for climate justice,” he said.
“When I chaired the Group of 77 at the UN, Pakistan’s proposal to request that loss and damage be part of the COP27 agenda was unanimously accepted… In Egypt, we are happy to announce that Pakistan’s proposal as chair of the G77 to include words on loss and damage on the agenda has reached consensus ,” he said. Bilawal added that he had spoken to US climate envoy John Kerry in Egypt and by phone “once the talks went into overtime”.
