ISLAMABAD: Senior Puisne Judge Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah has expressed concern over the government’s failure to establish a Climate Change Authority or a Climate Change Fund as mandated by the Climate Change Act of 2017.
Speaking at a high-level Climate Finance Forum and COP-29 Preparatory Workshop on Saturday, Justice Shah criticized lawmakers for their quick legislative actions that overlooked critical environmental frameworks. He noted that climate financing is vital for vulnerable nations like Pakistan.
The two-day forum, co-hosted by Sohail and Partners and Resources Future in collaboration with the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi, and the National Institute of Banking and Finance (NIBAF), Islamabad, aimed to foster strategic discussions on mobilizing climate finance for Pakistan’s mitigation and adaptation initiatives.
“The government must awaken to the urgency of these issues,” Justice Shah urged. He highlighted the necessity of the Climate Act for effective project adaptation and funding applications. “Sadly, despite the Act being passed in 2017, there is still no authority in place as we enter 2024,” he lamented, referring to a public interest petition that sought the Supreme Court’s intervention in establishing the authority.
Justice Shah pointed out that when the Supreme Court questioned the government about budget allocations for climate change, it received no satisfactory answers. “I struggle to comprehend what could be more deserving of budget allocations than climate change in a country severely impacted by it,” he stated, expressing disappointment over the lack of immediate action despite government assurances for future allocations.
He stressed the urgent need for a comprehensive regulatory framework, noting that the absence of such a framework hampers timely project implementation and undermines investor confidence in climate-related initiatives.
“Climate change should be prioritized as a fundamental human rights issue, as it poses the greatest existential threat to Pakistan,” he cautioned. Extreme weather events not only challenge access to basic necessities like food, water, and health but also make climate financing crucial for upholding human dignity and survival.
“For Pakistan, climate finance is not a luxury but a necessity for survival,” Justice Shah remarked. He likened climate finance to the water needed to extinguish a fire in a burning house.
He further emphasized the urgency of securing $30 billion in international financing in the wake of the devastating 2022 floods, urging stakeholders to frame this issue as a human rights obligation to attract necessary funds.
Justice Shah asserted that courts play a pivotal role in holding the state accountable for its commitments, ensuring that financial support reaches the most affected communities by translating international agreements into actionable rights.
He concluded by stating that climate finance transcends economic policy; it is fundamentally about survival and justice. The judiciary, both domestically and internationally, has an unprecedented responsibility to ensure that these funds are effectively managed and utilized to meet the urgent needs of vulnerable nations and communities.
