Govt pledges stronger climate action, partners with stakeholders

Islamabad: Coordinator to the prime minister on climate change Romina Khurshid Alam on Tuesday reaffirmed the federal government's commitment to enhancing collaboration with international stakeholders, including governments and NGOs, toward achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

In a meeting with a high-level delegation from Yuanhe Holdings and the Green and Low-Carbon Committee of the Sino-International Entrepreneurs Federation (SIEF) here, Ms Alam emphasised the importance of partnering with countries and entities possessing expertise in technical knowledge, technology, and SDG implementation. "We [government] aim to address key challenges such as poverty reduction, environmental sustainability, climate resilience, and gender empowerment," she said.

The aide to the PM and the six-member SIEF delegation, led by senior adviser of the Green and Low-Carbon Committee Dr Ma Chengliang, voiced a strong commitment to joint efforts in areas including climate change, disaster risk reduction, and socio-economic development in Pakistan. The SIEF is a global nonprofit, non-partisan organisation with headquarters in Beijing and connects top business leaders from China, Europe, Australasia, Arab and Africa from across industries, continents and cultures through meaningful engagements, such as the Sino-European Entrepreneurs Summit, the Sino-Australasian Entrepreneurs Summit, the China-Africa Investment Forum, the Sino-International Entrepreneurs Summit, the China-Arab Entrepreneurs Summit, the Sino-Japan Entrepreneurs Summit, as well as a broad range of ongoing programmes around the world.

Ms Alam said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government strongly believed in collaboration with various governments, private sector, civil society organisations and academia and development partners through joint multi-stakeholder engagement for achieving common goals of environmental sustainability, climate resilience and socio-economic development. "Collaboration at any level and in any form for sustainable development is essential to address the interconnected challenges facing our world, such as climate change, poverty, inequality, and the depletion of natural resources. It involves working together across sectors, borders, and disciplines to create long-term solutions that are socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable," she said.

The prime minister's coordinator said effective collaboration could significantly help leverage resources, knowledge, and expertise to tackle complex global issues such as climate change, health, and inequality. She highlighted the unprecedented significance of inclusive development through collaborations and said inclusivity was a crucial for achieving sustainable development.

Ms Alam, however, said collaboration must be participatory, ensuring that all voices, especially those of marginalised, resource-poor communities, are heard and considered in decision-making processes. She said technology and innovation played vital roles in tackling environmental sustainability and climate change challenges.

"From renewable energy technologies to data-driven decision-making tools, innovation can drive efficiency and create new opportunities. Collaboration between the tech sector, research institutions, and governments can accelerate the development and deployment of sustainable technologies," she said. Dr Chengliang lauded the government's "vision for environmentally-sustainable and climate-resilience Pakistan and the initiatives launched for achieving the vision" and said integrating sustainability into business operations helped increased operational efficiencies, improved brand reputation and enhanced employee engagement.

He also said sustainability was becoming a key factor in consumer purchasing decisions, with many individuals actively seeking products and services from companies committed to environmental stewardship and social responsibility.