Pakistan needs climate aid, not more loans: Sherry Rehman

Pakistan should receive additional climate financing and debt relief rather than being pushed into further borrowing to deal with the effects of climate change, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Vice President Sherry Rehman has said.

Rehman made the remarks while attending the COP31 climate conference in Türkiye alongside Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. She stressed that the conference must move beyond promises and deliver climate justice and practical support for countries most affected by environmental disasters.

In a statement, the PPP senator highlighted the devastating impact of the 2022 floods in Pakistan. She said the disaster affected around 33 million people and caused an estimated $30 billion in economic losses.

Rehman argued that countries suffering the consequences of climate change should not be forced to take on more debt to recover from disasters they have contributed relatively little to causing. She called for greater financial assistance and relief from existing debt obligations.

She also pointed to the huge amount of public money spent globally on fossil fuel subsidies. According to her, around $7 trillion is spent on such subsidies every year. She said these resources should instead be directed towards climate protection and sustainable development.

The senator warned that current global policies could lead to a rise of 2.7 degrees Celsius in average temperatures, increasing the risks of extreme weather events and environmental damage.

She said Pakistan would need more than $565 billion to achieve its climate-related targets. The country has also submitted a request for approximately $58 million from the Loss and Damage Fund to address the consequences of climate disasters.

Rehman stressed that financial assistance must reach people affected by climate emergencies without unnecessary delays. She said investment was also urgently needed to strengthen environmental protection, agriculture, water resources and infrastructure.

She further emphasised the importance of turning international climate commitments into concrete action. Countries vulnerable to climate change, she said, needed practical support rather than repeated assurances.

Rehman appreciated Türkiye’s role in hosting and leading COP31, expressing hope that the conference would help advance meaningful cooperation on climate challenges.

She maintained that Pakistan was not seeking charity but demanding climate justice and financial responsibility from the international community. She said countries facing severe climate impacts deserved fair support to protect their populations and rebuild their economies.