ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday appreciated the efforts being made by the administration of US President Joe Biden to tackle the climate change and thanked the country for extending help to flood victims in Pakistan.
The premier expressed his view while talking to US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, on the sidelines of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
He emphasized the need for continued support from the international community in immediate recovery and relief efforts as well as during the subsequent reconstruction and rehabilitation phase.
The prime minister stressed that Pakistan contributed less than one percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions, but it is among the ten most vulnerable countries to climate change.
Talking about devastations caused by recent floods in Pakistan, he said over 1400 people have been died and 33 million people displaced as climate refugees, out of which over six hundred thousand are pregnant women. He told the US delegation that four million acres of crops have been destroyed, entire villages and livelihoods swept away.
Shehbaz Sharif underscored the importance of US leadership in enabling developing countries including Pakistan to deliver on their climate action commitments under the Paris Agreement by providing sufficient tools in the shape of Climate Finance, Technology Transfer and Capacity Building Assistance.
Special Envoy Kerry expressed solidarity with the people and Government of Pakistan and reaffirmed US Administration’s continued support in facing the challenges due to floods. He said his country is ready to engage with Pakistan to collaborate in rebuilding resilient infrastructure as well as other forms of support that would avert such a crisis in future, Radio Pakistan reported.
Both sides agreed to continue to closely focus on climate change and energy dialogue.
