New York (TDI): Pakistan called for balanced progress on mitigation, adaptation and climate finance at the upcoming COP31 in Antalya, pledging full and constructive support to the incoming presidency.
The remarks were made by the country’s permanent representative at the United Nations in New York, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, at a Group of 77 ambassadorial-level meeting.
He welcomed Türkiye’s minister Murat Kurum as COP31 president-designate and appreciated the message from Australia’s Hon. Chris Bowen, COP31 president of negotiations.
Ambassador Asim said Pakistan was encouraged by the spirit of continuity and partnership between the Türkiye and Australian teams.
Pakistan speaks as a country on the frontlines of the climate crisis. We contribute less than one percent of global emissions, yet we experience some of the world’s most severe climate impacts — from the catastrophic 2022 floods that inundated one-third of our territory, to… pic.twitter.com/BbarF8avmO
— Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN (@PakistanUN_NY) March 27, 2026
Pakistan sits on the frontlines of the climate crisis.The country contributes less than one per cent of global emissions yet suffers some of the most severe impacts. Ambassador Asim recalled the catastrophic 2022 floods that inundated one-third of Pakistan’s territory.
He warned that accelerating glacial melt now threatens water security for hundreds of millions of people. The urgency of COP31, he added, is real and personal for nations like Pakistan.
A successful outcome in Antalya, Ambassador Asim said, we must deliver trust and balance across all pillars of climate action.
Read More: Pakistan’s Green Future Rests on Youth Leadership, Says UK Climate Expert
He called for concrete advances on the New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance, the Global Goal on Adaptation and adequate resourcing of the fund for responding to loss and damage.
He expressed concern over recent negative trends in climate finance flows and aligned his remarks with those raised by Assistant Secretary-General Selwin Hart that predictable and scaled-up support remains essential for vulnerable developing countries.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s readiness to help facilitate convergence and achieve a balanced, ambitious result at COP31, with consensus as the foundation.
Pakistan Calls for Balanced Climate Action and Enhanced Finance
Our Press Release today pic.twitter.com/KnvcGhe3yi
— Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN (@PakistanUN_NY) March 27, 2026
According to the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics report of 22 November 2022, the country ranked eighth globally in economic losses from climate-related disasters between 2000 and 2019, with losses of $3.77 billion, equivalent to 0.52 per cent of GDP.
The 2022 floods displaced eight million people and caused total losses exceeding $30 billion, including $14.9 billion in direct damage, as detailed in Pakistan’s Third National Communication on Climate Change submitted to the UNFCCC on 18 June 2025.
The World Economic Forum noted on 15 May 2023 that the floods resulted in over 1,500 deaths. These events, combined with ongoing glacial melt in the Hindu Kush and Karakoram ranges, continue to disrupt river flows vital for agriculture and hydropower.
Muhammad Usman Hashmi
Muhammad Usman Hashmi is a researcher in International Relations, focusing on climate diplomacy, global governance, and political economy in the Global South. He has contributed to policy dialogues with the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia and serves as a Senior Research Fellow at the International Council on Human Rights, Peace and Politics. He is also associated with Rethinking Economics Islamabad, contributing to research on development and sustainability. He can be reached at musmanhashmi99@gmail.com
