Business Recorder
PESHAWAR: Panelists at a conference on Climate Justice and Mobilising Climate Finance for Pakistan highlighted the growing impacts and hazards of climate change and called for a unified approach to internationalise Pakistan’s climate justice case. The conference was jointly organised by Pakistan Development Foundation (PDF), Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University Peshawar (SBBWU), Institute of Management Sciences Peshawar (IMSciences), Women University Mardan (WUM) and Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDCL) here at Governor’s House. Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi was the chief guest at the moot. A panel talk titled ‘For a Better Tomorrow: Uniting Stakeholders towards Mobilizing Climate Financing for Pakistan’ featured renowned academicians and experts including Prof. Dr. Qibla Ayaz, Member Shariah Appellate Bench Supreme Court of Pakistan who stressed the importance of establishing Quranic guidance towards sustainable environmental solutions keeping in view religious sentiments of Pakistani society. Member of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Amna Sardar recounted those many bills that were passed during past few years to protect the environment but none was implemented, she lamented. Prof. Dr. Safia Ahmed, Vice Chancellor SBBWU and Prof. Dr. Usman Ghani, Director IMSciences highlighted how their respective institutions were shifting on green energy to reduce carbon emissions. Ghani informed that just on the day of conference, his institute received plastic shredders from UNDP and had already installed a rain water saving technology which watered the institute’s garden and fulfilled other needs. The session moderated by Dr. Muhammad Waqas, assistant professor at the Kohat university of Science and Technology (KUST). Prof. Dr. Muhammad Rafiq, Member Climate Finance at the Pakistan Climate Change Authority, through virtual participation presented the newly approved Climate Finance Policy of Pakistan and presented Pakistan’s strategy to mobilize climate finance for Pakistan. Renowned legal expert Advocate Tariq Afghan emphasized moving past mere rhetoric to practical steps, such as strict implementation of environmental laws, institutional tree-planting initiatives, and ridding public spaces of plastic waste. He stressed for a strong political will to achieve climate justice. Prof. Dr. Razia Sultana, Vice Chancellor WUM, informed that it was not just a climate issue but a violation of human rights and a social and economic marginalization. She called for urgent system-level collaboration between federal and provincial governments to combat escalating climate crises. Member of the KP Assembly, Kiramat Ullah Khan Chagharmatti, in his address, highlighted the historical shift in the region’s climate, noting the transformation of childhood sand dunes into modern landscapes. He emphasised the critical need for infrastructure, recalling his efforts to approve the Kurram Tangi Dam to irrigate six lakh acres of fertile tribal land, which remains hindered by incomplete canal systems. Chagharmatti also warned of immediate environmental and health hazards, such as the spread of the asthma-inducing Spingulay weed post-2010 floods. He urged academic leaders to launch comprehensive studies to tackle regional pollution effectively. Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi, who was also the chief patron of the conference, in his final keynote address highlighted climate change as a severe economic, social, and human crisis for Pakistan, despite the fact that the country was contributing less than one percent to global emissions. Driven by escalating vulnerabilities like water scarcity and agricultural decline, Kundi stressed the need for transitioning toward a sustainable green economy. By strategically investing in renewable energy, climate-resilient infrastructure, and afforestation, Pakistan can unlock vital new employment opportunities. Crucially, He underscored that empowering youth, who comprise two-thirds of the Pakistani population, and securing equitable international climate financing are foundational to executing practical policies and achieving long-term regional climate resilience. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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