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.