“Life and Death at Stake: Senator Sherry Rehman Advocates for Climate Justice at COP29″
Baku : As the world’s leaders gather in Baku for COP29, Senator Sherry Rehman, Pakistan’s former Minister for Climate Change, issued a powerful appeal to keep the focus on the urgency of the climate crisis. Her remarks delivered in Baku were quoted prominently by The Guardian (UK) in an interview. Senator Rehman called on global leaders to “Keep an eye on the big picture” during negotiations, urging a renewed commitment to addressing the catastrophic impacts of climate change on vulnerable countries like Pakistan.
“We’re here for life and death reasons,” she stated, recalling Pakistan’s devastating 2022 floods that submerged one-third of the country, affecting 33 million people.
To bridge the perilous gap in climate financing, and in addition to “Nationally Determined Contributions” (NDCs), Senator Rehman urged the creation of a new UN climate framework which Pakistan has called the “Internationally Determined Contributions” (IDCs) for wealthy nations. These contributions, she argued, should align with the climate adaptation and mitigation plans of the most vulnerable developing countries like Pakistan.
She explained, “The UN climate negotiations are the only way countries like Pakistan can advocate for their needs to be met. That means we have no choice but to come to the table. We’re one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, so we can’t walk away.”
However, Rehman expressed deep frustration with the slow pace of negotiations. “More talk than action” has been delivered so far, with developed countries falling significantly short on their financial commitments. “Poor countries will need more than $1 trillion a year in climate finance by 2030,” she noted.
Senator Rehman emphasized the importance of grants, not loans, to provide support without exacerbating debt burdens. “Countries are drowning, both in floods and debt,” she stated, highlighting the urgent need for accessible finance. Pakistan, for instance, is often excluded from critical funds due to not meeting the “least developed country” classification. Even when funding is available, bureaucratic barriers mean it can take years to access.
“The barriers are too many,” she explained. “By the time it often comes to you, it’s too late: the needs on the ground have changed.”
The critical agenda item for COP29 negotiators is to set an expanded goal for climate finance, which Senator Sherry Rehman emphasized is essential for countries like Pakistan to build resilient homes, yielding “a net benefit of $4 for every $1 invested.” Senator Sherry Rehman called for international funding to ease the financial strain of Pakistan’s solar transition and support decarbonization and adaptation efforts.
She also expressed concerns about the push by developed countries to rely on the private sector to meet climate finance targets. “Why would the private sector that revolves around markets and profits rush to the frontlines of climate catastrophe where only humanitarian agencies go?” she asked. While acknowledging the potential of the private sector to mobilize capital, she emphasized that public finance must remain at the forefront. “Capital and finance mobilization has to happen at the international public sector as well.”
Two years after her key role in securing the landmark loss and damage fund at COP27 in Egypt, Senator Rehman expressed the lack of sufficient contributions from donor countries. She stressed the need to sustain pressure on developed nations to meet their pledges.
“We used to say what went on in Pakistan will not stay in Pakistan,” she said. “What’s happening to us will happen to you tomorrow, so, think collectively.”
Senator Rehman’s leadership and advocacy for the Global South continues to resonate on the international stage. Her remarks at COP29 serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need for collective action to address the escalating climate crisis for vulnerable countries.