Pakistan's climate commitments would require about $565 billion in investment up to 2035, the State Minister for Climate Change, Dr Shezra Mansab Ali Khan Kharal, said on Wednesday. She said limited public budgets and gaps in international climate money are the main obstacles. Her remarks came at a pre-COP31 consultation ahead of the 31st Conference of the Parties in Antalya, Türkiye.
Why the funding gap matters
The minister described the country's third Nationally Determined Contribution, its emissions-cutting pledge under the Paris Agreement, which was submitted last September. It aims for a 50 per cent cut against projected levels by 2035, with 17 per cent unconditional and 33 per cent dependent on international support. She noted that more than 60 per cent of government revenue is consumed by debt servicing, meaning interest and loan repayments. That leaves little room for Pakistan climate finance from its own budget, and she said negotiators must narrow that gap.
Adaptation and loss and damage funds
On adaptation finance, Dr Kharal pointed to a past pledge to triple support by 2035, but said the final text did not set a baseline for measuring the increase. She cited adaptation finance of $26 billion in 2023, against a $40 billion target for this year, while the assessed annual requirement is $310 billion. On the loss and damage fund, she said 176 eligible proposals from 119 countries sought $2.8 billion, while only $342 million is available for its pilot phase. Pakistan submitted three requests totalling $58 million for farm recovery, health systems in Balochistan and flood-hit fisheries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but none has been allocated. Half of the fund's resources are reserved for least developed countries and small island states, so Pakistan must compete for the rest with other developing countries.
Mountains, youth and the negotiating brief
Dr Kharal said glacial melt could reduce Indus River system flows by 20 to 30 per cent by 2050, according to Pakistan's NDC projections. She said Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral face risks that existing international categories do not capture well. She also called for concrete proposals to raise youth representation in the COP31 delegation, noting that most Pakistanis are under 30. The minister said the outcome text would belong to the participants and could not be guaranteed government adoption, though it would be passed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She stressed that precise wording on financial provision and mobilisation could decide whether commitments turn into funding.
What happens next
The negotiating brief for COP31 is still being finalised across several ministries, and the minister said it remains open. The loss and damage fund's first allocation decisions are expected in December, after the conference. Dr Kharal urged participants to produce a jointly owned, evidence-based position for Pakistan's delegation to take into talks.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Pakistan ko climate targets poore karne ke liye 2035 tak lagbhag $565 billion investment chahiye, aisa state minister Dr Shezra Kharal ne kaha hai. Sarkar ke paas paisa kam hai aur bahar se climate finance bhi poori tarah nahi mil rahi. Abhi kisi bill, qeemat ya tax mein tabdeeli ka elaan nahi hua. Ye COP31 mein Pakistan ki position tay karne ka marhala hai.
