ISLAMABAD (Khyber Mail): The Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), Islamabad, recently hosted a significant event titled “Climate Finance: Towards Securing Sustainable Resilience in Pakistan”. The event brought together leading experts and policymakers in the field of climate action and finance to evaluate the global and domestic climate finance situation.
Environmental Policy Consultant, Mr. Dawar Hameed Butt, opened the discussion by presenting findings from a report by Transparency International Pakistan published in March 2024, titled “Financing Climate Action: Enhancing Effectiveness in Pakistan’s Climate Governance Frameworks”. He emphasized that Pakistan should learn from countries like Bangladesh that have optimized their pathways in climate finance.
The session chair, Hon. Romina Khurshid Alam, Climate Coordinator to the Prime Minister, shared her insights on the government’s vision for carbon markets and stressed the importance of integrated approaches to climate finance.
A panel discussion followed, moderated by Ms. Selina Irfan, Energy and Climate Change Expert. She highlighted the importance of creating enabling conditions for accessing climate finance and attracting private investment.
Mr. Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, Climate Advisor to the Planning Commission and member of the newly established Loss and Damage Fund, pointed out that the issue lies not in the availability of funds, but in the fact that they remain untapped. He urged the government to develop its own projects rather than relying on international consultants.
Mr. Fawad Hayat, Head of Climate Change at NDRMF, noted that the main issue is the ineffective use of available resources. He stressed the need to move away from a self-interested mindset and highlighted NDRMF’s positive community interventions such as implementing early warning systems.
Mr. Farrukh Khan, a senior diplomat with over two decades of experience in the domain, believed that improving regional cooperation, investing in civil society, and defining rules and regulations was the way forward to tackling the governance issue.
The event concluded with remarks from Ambassador Jauhar Saleem, President IRS, who thanked the expert panel for setting realistic expectations about the availability and accessibility of green finance. He said the session was a significant step toward fostering dialogue and action on climate finance in Pakistan.