Geneva: The Federal Minister of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Dr. Musadik Malik, requested a stronger international cooperation on Thursday to help developing countries to change a green economy, speaking at a high -level climate conference in Geneva.
The event was organized by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and took place together with the parties conference (COP) to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) conventions in Geneva.
Speaking in a ministerial discussion panel, Dr. Malik emphasized that global green standards must be inclusive and equitable, instead of serving as barriers for the poorest nations.
“Green development standards should not be a burden, but an opportunity for developing countries,” he said, and added, “global standards must be for all, not only rich nations.”
“I think the greatest obstacle I see is that the developing countries of the world are not visible,” he said in his opening comments.
“But I think that when I hear this debate, which is not visible to me are the imperatives of developing countries,” he said in the same breath.
“There is no doubt that there is an economic burden of disease in people, particularly poor people living in developing economies.
He highlighted the financial challenges facing countries such as Pakistan, noting that its 240 million population has only $ 350 million in private portfolios, too little to finance green initiatives alone.
“Without adequate resources, technology transfer and research support, a green economy remains out of the reach of developing nations,” he added.
Dr. Malik urged the international community to guarantee justice in climatic policies, warning that environmental objectives cannot be achieved without including developing countries.
“Developing nations must be active participants in the global economy, not to be left on the margins,” he said.
When asking for a bold action, he concluded: “The world must make brave decisions for a shared green future.
Practical barriers should be eliminated through the mobilization of resources, not rhetoric.
The summit continues to discuss strategies for equitable climatic action in the midst of growing pressure to meet the global sustainability objectives.
Meetings with key counterparts
Apart from the conference, Dr. Malik met with Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Qatar.
Dr. Abdulaziz expressed his desire to strengthen bilateral cooperation and coordination in environmental problems, in the domains of the environment, climate change, the protection of wildlife and clean energy, in a mutually beneficial way.
Dr. Malik, while appreciating Qatar’s transformative actions for a greener economy, discussed the ways to benefit from Qatar experience and technology in petrochemicals and recycling.
Opportunities in carbon trade/compensation and the development of a regional carbon market were also discussed.
The two ministers reaffirmed the commitment to deepen cooperation in these domains. They also decided to explore more ways to improve collaboration by exploring joint initiatives, bilaterally and in other multilateral forums.
Dr. Malik also participated in a discussion with Ciobanu Dorsa, director of Circular Economy of the European Commission.
During the meeting, Dr. Malik emphasized the mutually beneficial economic association with the European Union.
He stressed that the perspectives of developing countries should have more importance in global environmental frameworks.
The minister stressed Pakistan’s efforts towards the objectives of the circular economy and sustainable development.
He identified a series of green cluster development opportunities towards which the European countries/companies of Pakistan and Europe can collaborate.
Dordea, although he appreciated Pakistan’s commitment, suggested several ways to improve cooperation in various aspects related to the environment, waste management and circular economy.
The two also discussed different ideas to increase economic cooperation between Pakistan and the private sector of EU member states in this regard.
