Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to travel to Turkiye today to take part in the Leaders’ Summit of the 31st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Foreign Office said on Tuesday. His visit runs from November 10 to 12.
The prime minister is scheduled to address the summit on November 11 and urge the international community to take practical steps to combat climate change, according to a Foreign Office statement.
Pakistan’s climate priorities at the COP31 summit
The Foreign Office said Shehbaz will highlight Pakistan’s moves towards rapid solarisation and a bigger share of renewable energy. He will present these efforts as part of the country’s shift to a cleaner and more resilient economy.
Also read: COP31 in Turkiye: climate talks open amid war, AI power demand
He will also outline steps to strengthen disaster preparedness and early-warning systems. The prime minister will call for predictable, adequate and accessible climate finance for developing countries, so they can build resilience and pursue sustainable development.
During the trip, Shehbaz will attend a high-level roundtable convened by the COP31 presidency on the sidelines of the summit. He will also hold bilateral meetings with the Turkish leadership and several other world leaders.
“Prime Minister’s participation in the COP31 Leaders’ Summit is an expression of Pakistan’s strong support for the climate agenda, and will provide Pakistan with an opportunity to reaffirm its commitment towards working closely with the international community to address the climate crisis,” the Foreign Office said.
Funding dispute and extreme weather shape COP31 talks
The COP31 climate talks opened on Monday with an early dispute over money. UN chief Antonio Guterres urged world leaders to “get serious” about the crisis after a year of devastating weather extremes.
Guterres made his appeal as thousands of participants arrived at a sprawling expo centre in the Turkish Mediterranean city of Antalya, the venue for the UN’s annual two-week climate conference.
The summit follows a year of punishing heatwaves in Europe, major wildfires in Indonesia and catastrophic floods in Nepal. An exceptionally strong El Nino weather phenomenon has added to the climate disruption.
Observers expect few major breakthroughs at COP31, as countries contend with an oil price shock and geopolitical tensions linked to the US war with Iran and Russia’s conflict in Ukraine.
