Islamabad, 2 June 2022 (TDI): The German Embassy in Pakistan hosted a conference on climate change to improve cooperation with civil society.
Germany is working with Pakistan to reduce carbon emissions as well as promote clean energy under the Climate Energy Initiative.
جرمن سفارتخانے نے موسمیاتی تبدیلی پر 🇵🇰 سول سوسائٹی کے ساتھ تعاون بہتر بنانے کے لیے کانفرنس منعقد کی۔ کلائیمیٹ اینرجی انیشیٹوو کے تحت ہم کاربن کے اخراج کو کم کرنے اور صاف توانائی کو فروغ دینے کے لئے 🇵🇰 کے ساتھ ملکر کام کررہے ہیں۔ تمام شرکاء کا ان کے خیالات اور تعاون کے لیے شکریہ! pic.twitter.com/7NLQdh6Fhc
— Bernhard Schlagheck (@GermanyinPAK) June 1, 2022
Pakistan and Germany on boosting climate change cooperation
In 2021, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam pronounced the German government’s commitment to providing all-out technical and financial support.
Namely, towards the implementation of different environmental and climate change-related initiatives. Aslam further pointed out the boosting climate partnership of both countries to increase Pakistan’s climate resilience against unfavorable impacts of climate change and environmental sustainability.
During a ceremony witnessed by high-level officials of both countries in Berlin, the two countries signed an agreement letter for launching a process of Climate Partnership.
Charge d’Affaires at the Embassy of Pakistan, Sara Ijaz representing the Ministry of Climate Change, and Claudia Warning representing the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development(BMZ) both signed the climate partnership agreement letter.
During Warning’s address at the signing event, she mentioned Pakistan as the pioneer country for the Partnership resulting from its impressive track record in terms of cooperation in the field of climate change.
Improving climate adaptation and resilience in Pakistan
There is the Strengthening Climate Adaptation and Resilience (SAR) Project commissioned by the Federal German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in Pakistan.
Whereby the Ministry of Climate Change is the Lead executing agency. The project also has an overall term from 2021 to 2025. It is highlighted that Pakistan is part of the countries that are most affected by climate change in the world.
Economically, the losses endured by Pakistan result from climate events. For example, floods, droughts, erratic rains, heat waves, and weather-related extreme events are a big challenge for the Government of Pakistan.
In line with this, Climate change is expected to raise the intensity and frequency of such events. Which particularly, aggravates the vulnerability of local populations.
The objective of the project includes improving the conditions for climate adaptation and climate risk management in Pakistan. Also, mainstreaming financial instruments into the budgeting and planning processes for better protection.
Including risk covering measures supporting the most vulnerable groups, specifically women. In detail, the project supports the whole planning cycle of climate change adaptation measures.
Starting from the preparation of climate risk assessments up to the piloting of financing approaches. Together with instruments at the local level, with a focus on the most vulnerable groups.
Additionally, it supports the government of Pakistan to improve the conditions for accessing international climate finance. That is, for climate adaptation, resilience, and climate risk management measures.
Also, it supports both the implementation of local measures with its upscaling through international climate finance and climate risk assessments.
Specifically, at the local and provincial levels, enabling the local authorities to identify future needs, and financial instruments in their planning and budgeting processes to reduce the risks.
For the most part, the project is aimed at empowering authorities and local communities. That is, to have the ability to face climate risks by activating national and international climate finance potentials.
