The Breathe Pakistan Conference in Islamabad brought together key policymakers and environmental experts to discuss Pakistan’s pressing climate challenges.

Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal emphasized that no country can combat climate change alone, calling for regional cooperation and global support.

Ahsan Iqbal highlighted Pakistan’s vulnerability, stating that despite contributing less than 1% to global emissions, the country faces severe climate consequences, seeking global support in this "war".

Carbon policy and green finance

"Two years ago, one-third of our country was submerged in water, 33 million people were displaced, 1,700 lives were lost, and economic damage exceeded $30 billion," he recalled, underscoring the need for joint air quality monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, adding that the issue of smog had also become a national emergency.

He also said that the federal government was actively working on carbon policy and green finance, with climate adaptation being a key component of Uran Pakistan.

Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb reiterated the importance of financial reforms, population control, and climate investment, mentioning the National Adaptation Plan and Climate Finance Strategy. He announced that the State Bank will introduce Green Taxonomy Guidelines, while Green Climate Funds would take time to materialise.

Aurangzeb said Justice Mansoor Ali Shah had pointed out very pertinent points, adding that vacancies had been eliminated and some ministries merged. "Work has also been done on pension reforms, while population control is also a lot of work. Pakistan's population is growing at close to 2%," he added.

He further said that Pakistan was encouraging the promotion of green technology to deal with climate change. "We have implemented several reforms, including right-sizing, for economic stability. Population growth and climate change are also major challenges," he stressed.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Green Vision

Ali Amin Gandapur called climate change a big challenge, insisting that provinces should contribute their share in the battle against it. "We will make Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a green province," the CM remarked.

He then outlined his province’s green initiatives, declaring that the Billion Tree Tsunami has now expanded into the Billion Plus project, generating 175,000 jobs in afforestation efforts. He also highlighted the 178% reduction in carbon emissions through the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system and announced that thousands of mosques, schools, and all government buildings will be solarised.

He further explained that $5 billion Mohmand Dam project was being built, and four other major projects were underway. Moreover, 175,000 olive trees had been planted. "We have made the provincial budget a green budget."

Financial Gap in Climate Action

Former Finance Minister Shamshad Akhtar stressed that Pakistan needs $40–50 billion annually to tackle climate change but can only invest a third of this amount. She warned that climate change could result in a 50% decline in bird and insect populations, further destabilizing the ecosystem.