The much-anticipated COP26 summit has begun in the Scottish city of Glasgow. World leaders and delegates from around 200 countries are attending this summit to announce their plans to cut carbon emissions by 2030 to help save the planet from climate change. According to scientists, a reduction in consumption of carbon emissions is urgently needed or it will cause a climate catastrophe soon.
At the summit, world leaders are expected to produce bold, time-bound, and front-loaded plans to phase out fossil fuel consumption and help economies achieve net-zero emissions. According to Climate Change activists, timing is crucial for damage control and to slow down the climate change process. According to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the summit will be the world’s decisive moment and that the world should make the most of it by seizing this opportunity.
Climate finance is a central theme of the COP26 summit. The concept entails that climate-resilient economies of developed countries need to finance and commit funds to emerging markets and developing countries to fight climate change.
For a developing country like Pakistan, it has shown commendable performance on the climate change front. Pakistan was selected as the host for World Environment Day due to its numerous policy contributions to the cause of climate change. Besides the Ten-Billion-Tree-Tsunami project, the incumbent government also introduced an Electric Vehicle policy that will help the government mainstream electric vehicles across the country. Recently, the premier also declared to halt the establishment of any new coal power plant in the country.
According to a German Think Tank, Pakistan is the 8th most vulnerable country in the world to climate change. The country has faced some of the most intense climate-related disasters in the past decade which includes the 2010 nationwide floods that took many lives and livelihoods. Now, experts predict that Karachi is the next most vulnerable city in the region. If sea levels continue to rise, Karachi could be completely submerged under the sea by 2060. Moreover, rising temperatures will melt 36% of glaciers in the Hindu Kush and Himalayas, which are the primary sources of fresh water in the region. Considering this, Pakistan stands at a critical juncture and needs to act swiftly and timely to prevent a climate catastrophe.
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