Durable climate action in global south not possible without finance, technology, warns Dr. Musadik Malik

ISLAMABAD; Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Senator Dr. Musadik Masood Malik, called for urgent global action to enhance climate finance and support vulnerable nations, highlighting Pakistan’s acute exposure to climate risks despite its minimal contribution to heat-trapping global greenhouse gas emissions tally, according to a press release issued here on Sunday.

Addressing the High-Level Climate Finance Dialogue via a keynote video message from Islamabad, held on the sidelines of COP30 in Brazil’s Amazonian city of Belém, Dr. Malik underscored the critical role of equitable, predictable and accessible climate funding in tackling the climate crisis.

The event, held on the sidelines of two-week’s global climate summit, which kicked off on November 10, brought together international climate finance experts and representatives from Multilateral Development Banks to explore streamlined financing mechanisms and accelerate funding flows for nations most at risk.

During his address, Dr. Malik highlighted Pakistan’s vulnerability, noting that the country lies at the base of a whopping number of over 13,000 thousand glaciers that feed the Indus River system are curicla backbone of the nation’s ecology and economy.

“Despite contributing less than one percent to global greenhouse gas emissions, Pakistan remains among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries yet committed as a responsible country to tackle climate change with adaptation and mitigation policy measures,” he said, stressing the urgent need for climate justice alongside climate finance for the most climate-vulnerable and affected developing countries.

He expressed Pakistan’s commitment to a green transition and climate-resilient development strategies and said: “We are actively implementing our Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), with ambitious targets that include achieving 60% renewable energy by 2030 and restoring our ecosystems through programs like the Living Indus Initiative and Recharge Pakistan.”

However, national efforts alone cannot bridge the significant gap in resources required to effectively combat this crisis, he cautioned and said that the reality for vulnerable nations is defined by a constant struggle for recognition and resources in global forums.

He called for actualisation of pledges for essential mechanisms, such as the Loss and Damage Fund, which must be expedited and operationalised with accessible financing for high-risk and often neglected markets.

“We must push for inclusive strategies that reform the international financial architecture and unlock climate finance if we are to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and protect the communities most at risk. We call upon international financial institutions and development partners to ease access to climate adaptation technologies and support capacity-building initiatives in the Global South,” he stressed.

The minister pointed out that a significant portion of global climate finance is often repurposed from loans originally intended for education, health, human development and other Sustainable Development Goals, leaving developing nations to respond to climate change-caused disasters at the cost of long-term development priorities.

Dr. Malik called on the international community to demonstrate genuine commitment to climate action, asserting that adaptation and resilience could not be achieved without fair and predictable financial support. “We are committed to a green transition and climate-resilient development. Pakistan is actively implementing its Nationally Determined Contributions, but partnership and fair climate finance are essential for developing economies to move forward,” he said.

He further urged global leaders, financial institutions, and development partners to collaborate on both enhanced funding and technology-sharing, enabling sustainable transitions and resilience-building in developing countries.The dialogue concluded with a reinforced call for strengthened international partnerships, transparent funding mechanisms, and focused support for climate-vulnerable nations, underscoring the central role of climate finance in achieving global climate goals.