Islamabad, October 28, 2025 ( ): Senator Sherry Rehman, Chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, has warned that Pakistan is “sleepwalking into a resilience nightmare” as the country prepares for the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Brazil. She called for the urgent revival of Pakistan’s climate diplomacy and a shift from symbolic participation to concrete action in securing global climate finance. Presiding over a committee meeting to review Pakistan’s preparations for COP30, Senator Rehman said Pakistan must reclaim the leadership role it demonstrated in 2022, when it successfully championed the establishment of the Loss and Damage Fund. “You go to COP for climate financing not just to be seen,” she stressed. “We must revive Pakistan’s climate diplomacy, especially on adaptation finance. This is not just about NDCs; it’s about survival.” She cautioned that Pakistan’s progress on international climate advocacy had stalled since 2022, despite earlier momentum that had earned the country significant global goodwill. Calling the imbalance in climate finance “climate colonialism,” she criticized the world’s continued $7 trillion annual subsidies for fossil fuels while developing nations like Pakistan struggle for survival funding. According to World Bank estimates cited during the meeting, Pakistan needs $348 billion by 2030 to cope with climate impacts including $152 billion for adaptation and resilience. Without decisive action, climate inaction could cost the economy $1.2 trillion by 2050, with flooding alone displacing up to 400 million people, mostly in Punjab. Current adaptation spending covers barely six percent of what is required, with the private sector contributing less than one percent to adaptation finance. Briefing the committee, the Secretary for Climate Change said COP30 will focus on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), climate finance, forests, and oceans. Senator Rehman expressed concern that Pakistan ranks the lowest in South Asia for forest cover and faces extreme coastal pollution. She called for post-COP30 accountability, vowing to seek a full national assessment of forest cover and better monitoring of environmental degradation. Pakistan’s delegation will attend COP30 negotiations in Brazil from November 10 to 21, where discussions will include carbon credit trading with South Korea and follow-up on operationalizing the Loss and Damage Fund, which currently has $700 million in pledges awaiting disbursement. Senator Rehman underscored the need for stronger provincial engagement in implementing climate policy, urging federal and provincial coordination through the committee’s platform. “Without provincial involvement, no climate policy can succeed. Balochistan, in particular, must not feel remote from national processes,” she said. The committee also reviewed the performance of the Pakistan Meteorological Department, with members expressing concern over forecasting failures during recent heavy rainfall in Karachi. Senator Rehman urged accountability and proposed collaboration with private weather platforms and the NDMA to strengthen nationwide early warning systems. Turning to plastic pollution, the committee assessed progress on the Single-Use Plastics (Prohibition) Regulations, 2023. Senator Rehman warned of the long-term hazards of microplastics, calling them “forever chemicals” linked to cancers and environmental degradation. “The Indus is now the world’s second most polluted river choked with plastics,” she said, urging investment in recycling infrastructure. Islamabad’s Deputy Commissioner briefed the committee that enforcement of the plastics ban includes fines up to Rs. 1 million and has reduced plastic bag usage in the capital. However, Senator Rehman directed the establishment of comprehensive recycling facilities for sustainable impact. Concluding the session, Senator Rehman emphasized that climate finance, resilience, and accountability must remain central to Pakistan’s national agenda. “We can no longer afford to be reactive the next climate disaster will not wait for us to coordinate. It’s time to move from policy to practice, from silos to synergy,” she said. Attendees included Senators Bushra Anjum Butt, Naseema Ehsan, Quratulain Marri, Kakar, and via Zoom, Senators Sarmad Ali and Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur.

New York/Islamabad, September 25, 2025 ( ): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called on the international community to deliver on its long-standing climate finance commitments, warning that debt-dependent mechanisms cannot address the escalating climate crisis confronting vulnerable nations like Pakistan. Speaking at the Special Climate Event convened by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the President of Brazil ahead of COP30, the prime minister unveiled Pakistan’s new climate targets, setting an ambitious roadmap toward energy transition, clean mobility, and ecosystem restoration. “Loans over loans, adding to loans is not a solution,” the prime minister told delegates, urging that climate finance must be based on justice and shared responsibility. “Pakistan is committed to being part of the solution, but it cannot face this crisis alone. We need fair, predictable, and accessible support.” Shehbaz Sharif announced that Pakistan will raise the share of renewable and hydropower energy to 62 percent of the national mix by 2035, expand nuclear capacity by 1,200 megawatts by 2030, and transition 30 percent of its transport sector to cleaner mobility within the same period. The roadmap also includes establishing 3,000 electric vehicle charging stations nationwide, scaling up climate-smart agriculture, enhancing water security, and planting one billion trees under a national restoration programme. The prime minister reminded the global audience that Pakistan continues to suffer from the compounded effects of climate disasters, recalling the 2022 super floods that caused more than $30 billion in economic losses, displaced millions, and devastated critical infrastructure. This year’s extreme monsoon events, he noted, affected over five million people, destroyed 4,100 villages, and claimed more than 1,000 lives. Despite contributing less than 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, Pakistan has already met its unconditional target of a 15 percent reduction in projected emissions by 2030, the premier highlighted. “Renewables now account for 32 percent of our power mix, solar capacity has expanded seven-fold since 2021, and we have restored over 23,000 hectares of mangroves,” he said, adding that lack of adequate international finance remains a critical barrier to accelerating adaptation and mitigation measures. In his remarks, UN Secretary-General António Guterres echoed the urgency of global cooperation, warning that the window to limit warming to 1.5°C is closing fast. He urged nations to arrive at COP30 in Brazil with enhanced 2035 targets and a “credible global response plan” backed by $1.3 trillion in annual climate finance by 2035. Guterres also reiterated the need for debt relief for developing countries that “did least to cause the crisis but are suffering the most.” Prime Minister Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan’s determination to “build resilience through reform, innovation, and shared responsibility,” stressing that climate finance must not be a privilege but a lifeline for nations on the frontline of the climate emergency.

Brasília, August 12, 2025 (): As the world gears up for the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, the country’s powerful agribusiness sector is positioning itself not as a contributor to the climate crisis but as a central part of the solution. The Brazilian Agribusiness Association (Abag) has announced an ambitious plan to showcase the sector’s role in promoting low-carbon agriculture, emissions reduction, and food security on a global scale. In a statement released Tuesday, Abag said that Brazil’s agricultural production chain, responsible for nearly 27% of the country’s GDP and employing around 19 million people, is both highly vulnerable to climate impacts and crucial to achieving global climate goals. “Brazilian agribusiness has a crucial role in this global agenda, particularly in relation to COP30. Beyond being a sector especially vulnerable to climate impacts, it positions itself as a fundamental part of the solution, with great potential to mitigate emissions and promote food security,” the association stated. Abag sees COP30, scheduled for November 2025 in Belém, Pará state, as a turning point for Brazil to consolidate its leadership in sustainable and low-emission agriculture. The association emphasized that the conference provides “a unique opportunity for Brazil to demonstrate how sustainable farming practices, carbon-efficient livestock management, and bioeconomy innovation can drive both economic growth and environmental responsibility.” According to Abag, Brazil’s potential lies in scaling up climate-smart agricultural practices, such as no-till farming, integrated crop-livestock-forestry systems, and methane-reducing technologies, which could cut agricultural emissions by as much as 40% by 2035, according to data from Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture and Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation). To unlock this potential, the association urged policymakers to advance clear regulatory frameworks and transparent carbon-credit mechanisms that would attract global investment. “For Brazil to achieve this, it must present concrete results in regulations, technologies, methodologies, and registration systems, ready to be debated and recognised internationally,” Abag noted. The organization also stressed the need for expanded green financing, calling for international funds and domestic banks to support farmers transitioning to sustainable models. “Financing must be accessible through objective and transparent criteria that reward innovation and adoption of sustainable technologies,” it said. Experts estimate that Brazil could generate up to US$100 billion in carbon credit revenues by 2030 through verified emission-reduction projects in agriculture and forestry, positioning the sector as a cornerstone of the nation’s low-carbon economy. COP30, which will take place in the heart of the Amazon region, is expected to attract more than 50,000 participants from around the world, including heads of state, negotiators, civil society, and business leaders. The event will focus heavily on nature-based solutions, forest preservation, and climate justice, making Brazil’s agribusiness sector a focal point in the global climate dialogue. As preparations intensify, Brazil faces the challenge of balancing economic ambition with environmental integrity ensuring that its bid for climate leadership is backed by measurable, transparent action rather than rhetoric.

Islamabad, October 28, 2025 ( ): Speakers at a seminar on Tuesday underscored the urgent need for regional cooperation to strengthen climate resilience and prevent conflicts arising from resource scarcity, as countries prepare for the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Brazil. The seminar, titled “Strengthening Regional Climate Resilience: The Resource-Conflict Nexus,” was organised by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) as part of a strategic policy dialogue series leading up to COP30. Minister of State for Climate Change Dr. Shezra Mansab Ali Khan Kharal outlined Pakistan’s climate diplomacy priorities, highlighting the global financing gap that continues to hinder developing nations’ adaptation efforts. She said Pakistan’s COP30 agenda would focus on climate finance, just transition, and amplifying the agency of the Global South, proposing the creation of regional task forces led by policy think tanks such as the IRS to drive coordinated climate action. Senator Sitara Ayaz, Secretary General of the International Parliamentarians Congress (IPC), called for enhanced regional coordination on shared environmental threats such as glacial melt, smog, and heatwaves. She urged parliamentarians to integrate climate realities into governance frameworks, saying: “The time for fragmented responses is over; the region must unite against a common climate challenge.” IRS President Ambassador Jauhar Saleem warned that dwindling natural resources and rising geopolitical tensions were intensifying the risk of resource-driven conflicts. Referring to recent extreme weather in Islamabad, he said that finite resources and escalating conflict are converging dangerously. Dr. Khalid Mehmood Shafi, Director for Environmental Security at ISSRA–NDU, described climate change as a critical security threat, calling for recognition of the role of the military in adaptation planning and the inclusion of military emissions in global climate data. From Afghanistan, Abdulhadi Achakzai, CEO of the Environment Protection Training and Development Organisation (EPTDO), highlighted the country’s deepening vulnerability to droughts, flash floods, and chronic water scarcity, stressing that regional cooperation was vital for shared resilience. Indian renewable energy expert Manoj Kumar Jain noted that land, air, and water are becoming flashpoints of competition, and called for a rapid energy transition and stronger resource governance to prevent “green conflicts” across South Asia. Economic security adviser Faheem Sardar analysed the geopolitical dimensions of climate finance, urging Pakistan to adopt a clear, strategic approach in negotiations, particularly in leveraging its mineral wealth for sustainable development. The seminar concluded with a consensus that climate change poses a multidimensional threat, environmental, economic, and security-related, requiring a united regional response ahead of COP30.

Climate Change Adaptation: Energy efficient stoves can save 75% fuel energy

If we go energy efficient by popularizing energy efficient fuel stoves among rural populations depending on firewood and timber, we can save up to 75 percent of fuel energy (especially from the firewood) which was previously utilized in burning the traditional stoves.

“The introduction of Energy Efficient Cooking Stoves (EECS) Technology is a great step ahead on the front of saving the crucial energy. An energy efficient stove is a new technology that is replacing our traditional stoves. Traditional stoves are big threat to firewood consumption and forest degradation. These smokeless stoves are less harmful to the women during cooking, will save them from many diseases like asthma, and will, of course, help in reducing environmental degradation by reducing the cutting of wood in the rural areas to lit the stoves,” explained Dr Mahmood Khwaja, an environmentalists at SDPI.

A great thing about these stoves is that they are not only available in tin-made form but also can be produced locally using the traditional ways and materials like clay. The clay is mixed with its other constituent materials inside the mold and is left there for sometime. When the mold is lifted, the clay-made energy efficient stove is ready to be used. The mould is light in weight and can be easily transported from one place to another.

Using these stoves in Pakistan can really work wonders as the majority of the people living in far flung areas use the wood collected from environment to fuel their traditional stoves. Even the 11 slums in the outskirts of the capital of Pakistan have no other alternative than collecting wood from the natural habitats and using it to light up their stoves. Replacement of these traditional stoves with these energy efficient ones is sure to contribute substantially in preserving the wood not only in the capital but throughout the country that is facing a hasty depletion due to unchecked cutting for domestic use.

“Introduction of these stoves in Pakistani Rural localities will reduce the use of biomass energy that will eventually reduce emission of carbon dioxide – a major environmental polluter. Moreover, the reduced collection of fuel wood will not only lessen pressure on local forest ecosystem but also result in relieving the women from the heavy workload they previously had to shoulder as these stoves once lit last longer than the traditional three-stone fireplace,” told Anusha Sherazi, Project Associate at SDPI while talking to INFN.

It is the need of the hour that the people should prefer these stoves to save their money and the government should also play its due role to help the dream of transformation towards energy efficiency in Pakistan materialize into a reality. If we did not pay heed to projects like these, the energy supply deficit ratio which currently stands at 25% will jump to drastic figures i.e. 54% in a matter of a decade and it will mean no less than an energy death for Pakistan.

UN under pressure to denounce human rights abuses in Carbon Offsetting Scheme

The United Nation's Clean Development Mechanism Executive Board has so far failed to respond to human rights abuses linked to a carbon-offsetting project in Honduras that is currently pending registration, reports from Brussels said.

Environmental and Human Rights Groups are now demanding that the project be rejected from receiving funding under the offsetting scheme. They are also calling for an overhaul of the scheme to strip projects that violate human rights from the list of registered projects.

The project under question has requested funding under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) an offsetting scheme set up under the United Nations' Kyoto Protocol. The project is located in the Bajo Aguan region in Honduras and intends to reduce emissions by collecting biogas from methane emissions and replacing fossil fuels utilized for heat generation in a mill of a palm oil plantation of Grupo Dinant's subsidiary Exportadora del Atlantico. In the context of the CDM it is a relatively small project, forecasting to reduce annually about 23000 tonnes carbon dioxide that could generate about 2.8 million US$ over the period February 2010 to January 2017.

Last week the German public development bank DEG (Deutsche Entwicklungsgesellschaft) declared that it will not pay out an already approved loan to Grupo Dinant, the value of which Dinant owner Miguel Facussé reportedly put at $20 million USD. Following suite, also EDF Trading, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Electricité de France SA's and one of the biggest CDM investors, has pulled out from a contract to buy carbon credits from the project. These moves came as a response to findings in a recent report by a Fact-Finding Mission of several international human rights groups led by FIAN.

The report of the international human rights mission was submitted on 25 March 2011 to the Rapporteur for Honduras of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and confirms that 23 peasants have been killed between January 2010 and February 2011 in Bajo Aguan, Honduras. According to state attorneys, investigations of at least five of the killings are exclusively directed at private security forces contracted by a Facussé owned firm.

In a letter dated June 2009, the United Kingdom's CDM authority confirmed its voluntary participation in the Aguan project for EDF Trading. This step is required for the CDM project to sell its credits once registered. In March 2011, 76 organisations sent an Open Letter to the UK Government, urging them to withdraw their authorisation. In a response received on 14 April 2011, Chris Huhne, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, rejected the demands to withdraw project authorisation based on current information available. He stated that he would ask the Honduran Government and EDF Trading for information and also ask the CDM Executive Board to investigate the case further.

"Based on the facts at hand we consider it unacceptable for the UK government to adhere to their approval of the project" commented Martin Wolpold-Bosien, FIAN coordinator for Central America "Chris Huhne's letter suggests that he will be guided by the Honduran government's views, yet this is a government widely considered to be illegitimate and one ultimately responsible for the impunity with which crimes like those in the Bajo Aguan land conflicts are being committed."

The CDM Executive Board is expected to assess the application of the Aguan project over the coming weeks with a final decision estimated at their next meeting to conclude on 3 June 2011.

The CDM Executive Board, the body that approves individual CDM projects, has stated that they have no mandate to investigate human rights abuses and that any matters related to the sustainable development of the project - one of the two official key requirements of the CDM - is determined by the government that hosts the project, in this case the de-facto government of Honduras.

"This places a crucial decision into the hands of a government that has obvious interests for the project to go ahead. It is therefore not surprising that so far no project has ever been rejected for non-compliance with the sustainable development criteria." said Eva Filzmoser, Programme Director of CDM Watch. She therefore commended EDF Trading move as "a highly encouraging decision that prioritizes the protection of human rights over their economic benefits."

This was also echoed by the Carbon Markets & Investors Association that called in a press statement on 13 April 2011 that proven human rights abuses related to CDM projects be "rejected from the UN approval processes" and "requests all buyers, verifiers and other providers of CDM related services to immediately terminate their commercial relationship."

"Reported human rights abuses related to CDM project activities have caused widespread dismay that human rights are not being taken seriously under the CDM" said Eva Filzmoser "The CDM Executive Board must take this issue seriously. If there are no rules in place that allow for the rejection of projects based on human rights abuses, it is time to change this now."

Environmental and Human Rights Groups are now calling on the CDM Executive Board to re-assess its mandate and find ways of preventing projects that are linked to violations of international laws from acquiring eligibility under the CDM. A stringent requirement for CDM auditors to check conformity with international human rights laws when validating projects would be an option. Moreover, the detection of non-conformities during the monitoring period, e.g. incidents that involve human rights violations, should lead to suspension of issuance and the project being stripped of CDM eligibility.

"Excluding carbon offset projects that fund human rights abuses from the CDM would only be a logical move given that responsible investors should not be interested in buying carbon credits from projects that violate UN conventions" Filzmoser added.

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is a project-based flexible offset mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol that allows the crediting of emission reductions from greenhouse gas abatement projects in developing countries. The CDM has two purposes: it should assist developing countries in achieving sustainable development and help industrialized countries to reduce the costs of greenhouse gas abatement. Countries with a commitment under the Kyoto Protocol can use CERs to meet a part of their obligations under the Protocol. There are currently more than 2500 registered CDM projects in 58 countries, and about another 2500 projects in the project validation/registration pipeline. Based on estimates in submitted project design documents, the CDM could generate more than 2.9 billion certified emission reductions by the end of the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012, each equivalent to one tonne of carbon dioxide.

Transform oil, gas industry culture to cut exploration risks: Research

Report comes on anniversary of Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico

One year on from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the International Institute for Environment and Development on Wednesday (20 April) released a report that shows how growing risks associated with oil and gas exploration can be cut with a new approach to the way the sector manages its chains of contractors.

The report, which draws on three years of research and interviews within the sector, outlines seven key areas for action relating to the industry’s systems, procedures and – importantly – its culture. It highlights the key challenge of maintaining high environmental and social performance standards, even when speed and low cost of delivery are priorities.

Risks in the sector are increasing for two reasons. First, the industry is moving into ever more sensitive environments – whether in deep waters, the Arctic or the Amazon and Congo basins — and these bring greater technological, political and social risks.

Second, oil and gas exploration involves an increasingly complex chain of contractors and subcontractors – failure to manage these adequately increases the industry’s vulnerability to catastrophic accidents.

“The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico apparently involved failures throughout the contracting chain and shows that the risks of a devastating accident are not limited to developing nations with weak governance,” says co-author Dr Emma Wilson of IIED. “With 70% or more of oil and gas exploration activities contracted out, more effective management of these chains of contractors will be critical to ensuring good environmental and social performance.”

The report identifies three broad sets of factors that hamper effective chain-wide performance:

• Lack of a sense of shared responsibility throughout the contracting chain and across stakeholder groups
• Inadequate implementation of systems and procedures to enforce standards and incentivise good performance
• Cultural and contextual challenges in widely differing regions of the world

Wilson and co-author Judy Kuszewski (independent) say these challenges can be overcome with action in seven areas, such as ensuring investment in the capacity of local contractors to meet environmental and social standards; including in contracts more robust incentives for responsible practice; and improving accountability, monitoring and oversight.

“The responsibility for the social and environmental performance of the industry lies not only with large international corporations and their contractors,” says Kuszewski. “Governments also have a responsibility to deliver good levels of development and investment in communities, to uphold human rights, and determine acceptable environmental performance.”

“Civil society has an important role to play in providing independent oversight,” adds Kuszewski. "It is our hope that this report can help catalyse further research and collaboration across these diverse players to improve outcomes in the future.”

This report was co-funded by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Co-operation (NORAD).-

Pakistan Peace Coalition warns a modest natural disaster impacting country's nuclear plants could eliminate entire cities and life systems
 
The Pakistan Peace Coalition (PPC) reiterates its stand on the dangers of nuclear technology in the backdrop of the recent catastrophe in Japan, which has highlighted the potential hazards of nuclear power in a dramatic way. The description of nuclear power as reliable, secure, and a source of unbeatable energy has turned out to be a myth. Japan unmasks nuclear energy for what it is: an irresponsible, expensive and unnecessary high-risk technology.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, March 15, 2011 the PPC stressed that the post-earthquake and tsunami nuclear disaster in Japan is a strong wake-up call for the enthusiasts of nuclear power all over the world, and especially for those in the developing countries who are completely sold out to the charms of nuclear technology.
Japan is among most advanced countries, which manufacture and export nuclear power reactors, its tragedy illustrates how easily things can get out of hand, leading to catastrophic accidents.
Severe nuclear explosions have now happened in the most technologically advanced countries -- USA, Soviet Union, and now Japan -- showing that even the most robustly built nuclear power plants are susceptible to completely unforeseen elements, including human errors.
Japan’s tragedy must be honoured genuinely. Countries like Pakistan should meet their energy needs from the abundantly available renewable resources rather than fall for flashy but life-threatening technologies of mass destruction. Economists need to rethink their obsession with high energy-high growth - in the blink of an eye all social progress is eliminated.
Pakistan’s own nuclear power plants are situated in risky geographical locations. The aged Karachi nuclear power plant on the coast is as much susceptible to the catastrophic effects of a tsunami from the Arabian Sea as the Japanese reactors were, with much more serious consequences than in Japan because of the proximity of dense population. It’s not just that the poor of Karachi will be wiped out, but the entire city will be contaminated from the coastal winds blowing inland. Hyderabad and Thatta will not be spared either.
The two reactors in Chashma are known to be sitting on top of a number of criss-crossing tectonic plates. An earthquake of modest intensity originating from its vicinity can easily lead to several subsystems of the reactors failing to work, leading to catastrophic consequences. It has been estimated that a Chernobyl-like accident at the two reactors will adversely impact human health, food chain and water tables over a vast inhabited area of Punjab, extending to other provinces and even to neighbouring countries. All crops, livestock and even fisheries will be poisoned for hundreds of years.
We demand the dismantling of all nuclear reactors everywhere. International donors do no favour in extending aid for nuclear energy either. Grateful as Pakistan is to Chinese aid, we believe that additional reactors must not be built.
Armed forces of India and Pakistan have become a threat to all South Asia with their nuclear weapons. Dismantling reactors is a necessary step to eliminating threats of mass destruction.
PPC believes that if predatory elites reduce over-consumption of energy and development maximise labour use, there is no hurdle to affordable, ecologically sustainable, solar energy for life and livelihoods of the peoples of South Asia.

Climate change study provides greenhouse-gas emissions for 100 cities in 33 nations

Asks ‘whose greenhouse gas is it anyway?’ and urges a broader look at cities and climate change

ISLAMABAD, January 25, 2011: Policymakers need to take a fresh look at the differences between greenhouse gas emissions from different cities to identify new opportunities to mitigate climate change, says a forthcoming study in the peer-reviewed journal ‘Environment and Urbanisation’ published by Sage Publications and the International Institute for Environment and Development.

The study provides greenhouse gas emissions for over 100 cities in 33 countries and suggests policy tools that city governments can use to take action on climate change.

“Cities worldwide are blamed for most greenhouse gas emissions but many cities have very low emissions, as do many city dwellers in even the most industrialised countries,” says lead author Daniel Hoornweg, lead urban specialist on Cities and Climate Change at the World Bank.

“Differences in production and consumption patterns between cities and citizens mean that it is not helpful to attribute emissions to cities as a whole. Policymakers need a better understanding of the sources of emissions if they are to develop real solutions.”

Hoornweg and colleagues showed that emissions per person per year vary from 15-30 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in some cities in industrialised countries to less than half a tonne per person per year in various cities in South Asia.

But there is also great variation within countries and even within cities:

In the United States, the emissions per person in Denver are double those of people in New York, which has a greater population density and much lower reliance on private vehicles for commuting.

In Toronto, residential emissions per person in a dense, inner city neighbourhood with a high quality public transport system are just 1.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, compared to 13 tonnes in a sprawling distant suburb.

And there are some surprising differences between cities in different parts of the world:

* Many European cities have less than half the emissions per person of many cities in North America

* Some successful and wealthy cities in Brazil have lower emissions per person than poorer cities in Asia and Africa

* Emissions per person in London are lower than those in Cape Town, South Africa

The paper shows that emissions vary greatly depending on whether they are calculated according to what a city (or a citizen) produces or instead what they consume.

“Lifestyles and consumption patterns are key drivers of greenhouse gas emissions in emissions in far off cities, as in the case of Western consumer demand for Chinese goods,” says Hoornweg. “From the production perspective Shanghai has high emissions but from the consumption perspective its emissions are much lower.”

Equally, a wealthy city where many inhabitants have a high-consumption lifestyle can have low per capita emissions from a production perspective, but very high emissions from a consumption perspective.

“This paper reminds us that it is the world’s wealthiest cities and their wealthiest inhabitants that cause unsustainable levels of greenhouse gas emissions, not cities in general,” says Dr David Satterthwaite, who is the editor of ‘Environment and Urbanisation’ and a senior fellow at the International Institute for Environment and Development.

“Most cities in Africa, Asia and Latin America have low emissions per person. The challenge for them is to keep these emissions low even as their wealth grows.”

Need stressed for continuing assistance for flood survivors

Pakistan remains in need of humanitarian and early recovery assistance as a result of the devastation wrought by last year’s massive floods, the United Nations special envoy for the country said.

“Providing early recovery and reconstruction assistance in this phase is very complex, and a lot of work still needs to be done,” Rauf Engin Soysal, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Assistance to Pakistan, said at the end of a two-day visit to the southern Sindh province, where more than seven million people were affected by the floods.

Soysal said he was pleased to see the humanitarian community continuing its work to assist those who remain in need six months since the floods first struck the South Asian country.

“In close cooperation with the federal, provincial and district authorities, the United Nations and non-governmental organisations are providing emergency relief as well as early recovery assistance, which is urgently needed for the long-term recovery of the country,” he said after visiting the districts of Larkana and Sukkur in Sindh.

Accompanied by the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan, Timo Pakkala, and the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the country, Manuel Bessler, Soysal met with provincial government officials and district coordination officers, and had separate meetings with Sindh’s Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, and Governor Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan.

Their discussions focused on how to strengthen the capacity of the Pakistani authorities to cope with disasters in the future, as well as the complexity of the current humanitarian situation in Sindh, where everything from emergency relief to early recovery and reconstruction is high in demand.

Currently, around two million people are receiving monthly food assistance rations in Sindh and hundreds of thousands of families have been provided with emergency shelter to bridge the gap between temporary and permanent housing.

“Even though more than 1.4 million people have returned to their homes in the province, many of them have not been able to move into their houses. Numerous buildings are still flooded or too unstable to live in, and the affected families continue to be in need of food, tents and plastic sheets,” said Soysal.

In addition to shelter, thousands of farmers whose crops were destroyed are also in need of longer-term assistance.

“In Sindh alone, 2.5 million acres of crops were destroyed by the floods, and it will take years for the land to recover. Assistance in agriculture is also important for long-term food security,” Mr. Soysal said.

In response to the flood emergency, the UN, its partners and the Government of Pakistan requested $1.96 billion to fund relief and recovery efforts. So far, 56.1 per cent or $1.1 billion of the amount sought has been received.