Khalid Sibtain
Islamabad: The Federal Minister for Climate Change expressed her concern over the ongoing global climate crisis on the International World Environment Day. She stated, “it becomes clearer every day that the world is on an unsustainable trajectory. The UN acknowledges it, as does the UNEP in recognizing the triple threat of climate change to human health and prosperity. The World Meteorological Department has already reported a dangerous 50:50 chance of average global temperature reaching 1.5 degrees celsius in the next five years. This isn’t just a warning, but a glaring reality being overlooked by the largest contributors to the climate crisis.”
“The recent multilateral meetings have made a series of action pledges at the global level to reduce GHG emissions by the end of the century to control the rising temperatures to pre-industrial levels. However, the roadmap to such goals has become blurred. We have the human right to a healthy environment, a world where we breathe a little easier, but with continuous assault on our Earth by big corporations and rich countries there is no stopping the temperature rise. The Earth’s capacity to survive human extractive activities rapidly lessens.”
“There is an urgent need for collective action, but that comes with accepting responsibility that the global economic drivers have to the Earth we share. The transformative change required involves shift in world views and values, and an investment into green energy. The pledges for a fair and just transition have to come from a moral compulsion as much as they do from a recognition of interlinkages in the environment.”
“Pakistan too must act to save its resources as much as possible. We must work at home to conserve our water, and stop polluting the sea, the air and our soil. 90% of our plastics, the plastic bags, single-use plastic bottles, are ending up in our seas and rivers. 90% of those micro-plastics are being consumed by the fish and marine life we eat. They end up back in our plates.”
“ Pakistan has faced the warmest months on record since 1961, with temperatures ranging from 3 to 6°C warmer than normal. We had a harsh and lengthy heatwave with no breezy spring. This year, Pakistan’s summer did not wait for its turn. It came early giving us the longest heatwave in Pakistan’s history. Climate change results in serious loss of our livelihoods and economy. It is the defining challenge of the 21st century.”
“However, the trauma to the environment cannot be divided by borders, just like the air we breathe or the oceans we pollute. But the onus is on the developed countries to empower the Global South to move forward to protect their populations, their soils, forests, water, air. National governments too must join the conversation, create clear national action plans, and promote research to combat this triple threat. Pakistan is set to become one of the first five water-scarce countries if there isn’t immediate action. The country is particularly afflicted and the immediacy of climate change cannot be stressed upon any further.”
“The youth are instrumental in carrying out critical climate action and are paramount to changing the future for us all.
Don’t just think about the future. Be an agent of change. Develop a healthy approach to environmental conservation. Learn more on how you can play your role in reducing the harm to the Earth, and help educate others as well.”
“We share Only One Earth, and we need to care for it collectively, our actions affect the reactions –some more than others. If we don’t succeed in transitioning away from fossil fuels globally, we stand to face an uneven world where a few rich countries can transition towards green energy, but the rest of the world is still getting the short end of the stick because they don’t have the capacity for a transition to green energy
