Pakistan bears heavy climate burden despite low carbon footprint, says PM Shehbaz

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday that although Pakistan contributes less than one percent of global carbon emissions, it is among the worst affected by climate change in his speech at a United Nations event in Vienna.

Speaking on “Sustainable development as a path to global peace and prosperity”, the Prime Minister emphasized that sustainable development must be inclusive and equitable, leaving no one behind. “Development cannot be considered sustainable if it excludes millions of people from the promise of a better life,” he added.

Highlighting the disproportionate burden borne by developing countries, he said nations that contribute the least to global emissions were paying the highest price in terms of climate change, economic volatility and debt overhang.

Prime Minister Shehbaz also recalled the devastating 2022 floods that claimed thousands of lives, destroyed crops and infrastructure and displaced millions of people in Pakistan, adding that subsequent floods had compounded the challenges.

“These disasters erode human security at its core,” he said, highlighting that sustainable development must be anchored in equity, justice and fair play. “The neighboring country continues to violate the Indus Waters Treaty. There have been threats to use water as a weapon,” he added.

Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the prime minister said the government had integrated them into national development planning, focusing on human development, education, healthcare, food security and social protection, particularly for women and youth.

He noted that Pakistan’s large youth population presented both a challenge and an opportunity, underscoring the need to invest in skills, digital transformation and institutional strengthening to harness their potential.

Prime Minister Shehbaz reiterated Pakistan’s continued advocacy for dialogue, diplomacy and multilateralism as the only viable means to resolve disputes and prevent conflicts, despite facing aggression and violations of international commitments.

Highlighting Vienna’s unique role within the UN system, he said the city was home to key institutions dealing with counterterrorism, crime prevention, industrial development and the peaceful uses of nuclear technology and outer space.

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Pakistan, he said, highly valued its constructive engagement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and other Vienna-based entities and remained committed to supporting their mandates.

Prime Minister Shehbaz further stated that the United Nations must be strengthened and made more effective to meet the demands of a multipolar world. He highlighted the benefits of modern technology, but urged that “artificial intelligence should not be limited to select groups: it must reach all of humanity.”

He also underlined the importance of capacity building, knowledge sharing and technology transfer to ensure that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and biotechnology benefit all humanity and not a privileged few.

“Unaddressed digital divides will soon become entrenched development gaps,” he warned, urging the international community to address the root causes of global challenges rather than simply managing their consequences.

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The Prime Minister also highlighted the potential of Pakistan’s youth, calling them “the greatest asset and an unparalleled opportunity for the development” of the country.

Shehbaz said the world was at a crossroads where geopolitical hostility, climate stress and technological disruption were converging into a single destabilizing force.

“The defining danger of our time is not a single threat, but the combination of many,” he said, warning that poverty, debt overhang, mass displacement and unresolved political conflicts were intensifying global instability.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who also spoke at the event, said Pakistan remained steadfast in its commitment to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, recognizing the indispensable role of the United Nations in peace, security, sustainable development and the promotion of global human rights.

“The mandates of the UN organizations in Vienna are closely linked to the peace-development nexus, and Pakistan is proud of its constructive engagement with these pillars of global governance,” he added.

Dar said Pakistan deeply appreciates the role of IAEA in promoting peaceful applications of nuclear technology for global peace and development.

He further said that Pakistan was also committed to further strengthening its partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to strengthen the rule of law and counter crimes that drain resources for development.

“As a driver of inclusive and sustainable industrialization, UNIDO is critical to Pakistan’s efforts to eradicate poverty, increase employment and transition to cleaner and more resilient industries,” he added.

Furthermore, UNIDO Deputy Director-General Yuko Yasunaga also said that despite contributing minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions, Pakistan remained highly vulnerable to climate impacts. “The devastating floods of 2022 are a stark reminder of the magnitude of this global challenge,” he added.

He noted that climate resilience and economic resilience were inseparable and that the development of low-carbon technologies and industries was essential to safeguard livelihoods, promote growth and strengthen social cohesion.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz also met IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi at the Vienna International Centre, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

“Pakistan supports the role of the IAEA in promoting the responsible use of nuclear technology in areas such as cancer diagnosis and treatment, agriculture, nuclear power generation and industrial applications,” the statement quoted him as saying.

He highlighted Pakistan’s partnership with the agency and noted that the country “is not only a beneficiary of the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme, but also contributes to the work of the IAEA by providing its experts and conducting international trainings for IAEA Member States.”

Grossi acknowledged Pakistan’s expertise in peaceful nuclear technology and the high caliber of its engineers, scientists and technicians. “He appreciated Pakistan’s contribution to the IAEA’s work in the areas of nuclear safety and security” and stated that Pakistan “was well positioned to assist other IAEA member states in peaceful applications of nuclear technology,” according to the statement.

He said he had visited different nuclear facilities in Pakistan, including the latest unit under construction, Chashma, which he said was quite impressive. He also expressed his anticipation for Pakistan’s participation in the Nuclear Energy Summit to be hosted by France in March 2026 and pledged to continue collaboration with Pakistan, the statement added.

Later, the Prime Minister attended the signing ceremony of the UNIDO Country Partnership Program for Pakistan 2025-2030, the UNODC Country Program for Pakistan and a cooperation agreement between the Lahore Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology and the IAEA.