Events

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international treaty signed in 1992 by more than 150 countries to coordinate the global response to climate change. These countries meet annually at the Conference of Parties (COPs) to negotiate how the world should respond to the climate crisis. These parties collectively signed the Paris Agreement at COP21 in Paris in 2015, which legally binds its signatories to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This year’s conference, the 30th iteration of COP, will be held in Belem, Brazil, and will build on the outcomes of COP29 held in Azerbaijan, where climate finance and adaptation dominated the agenda. As Pakistan prepares for COP30, it is already facing very serious risks of climate change. Ranked first on the Climate Risk Index by Germanwatch in 2022, it has suffered disproportionate human and economic losses, most visibly through the devastating floods of 2022 and 2025. At COP29, Pakistan joined with the G77 bloc of developing countries to call for predictable and accessible climate finance, easier approval procedures for funding climate related projects, and regular replenishment of the Loss and Damage Fund, a facility that Pakistan had championed at a previous COP held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These issues continue to shape Pakistan’s agenda as it heads into COP30. Recognizing the importance of this agenda, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination is carrying out a day-long workshop on November 5th, 2025 to devise Pakistan’s playbook to partake in the COP30 proceedings. After the workshop has firmed up the playbook, the Parliamentary forum on Energy and Economy plans to collaborate with the standing committees on Climate Change both in the Senate and the National Assembly and the Parliamentary Taskforce on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to organize a special briefing for the parliamentarians on Pakistan’s stance during COP30 and how that stance should be put forward effectively and meaningfully at the global level. This briefing provided an overview of the COP process and Pakistan’s plans and priorities for COP30. It highlighted how elected representatives can play a strong and effective role in climate governance – both within Pakistan and globally. Key themes at the briefing included parliamentary oversight of climate-related plans and policies, ensuring accountability in the use of climate finance, balancing climate commitments with economic development priorities, and preparing effectively for Pakistan’s participation at COP30.

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