Antalya: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged for grant-based financing and increased resilience and adaptation funds to aid vulnerable economies in coping with climate disasters. Speaking at the COP 31 Summit in Antalya, Turkiye, he emphasized the need for timely assistance that does not exacerbate the debt issues of struggling nations when climate disasters occur.

According to Radio Pakistan, the Prime Minister highlighted the borderless nature of climate change, asserting that no single nation can tackle it alone, and real action must accompany solidarity. He recalled the devastating impact of the 2022 flash floods in Pakistan and expressed appreciation for the support from Turkish leadership and citizens during the floods of 2010 and 2022.

Prime Minister Sharif also discussed Pakistan’s efforts in promoting clean energy, noting that clean sources now account for nearly fifty-five percent of the nation’s energy mix. He mentioned Pakistan’s advancements in electric mobility and its target to reduce projected emissions by about fifty percent by 2035. However, he stressed that national efforts alone cannot substitute for a fair and equitable global response, pointing out that those least responsible for climate change often suffer its most severe consequences.