By Ghulam Haider Shaikh
Pakistan’s condemnation of the “global hypocrisy” surrounding climate financing is both justified and overdue. Despite being among the top ten countries most affected by climate change, Pakistan continues to receive only symbolic support from the developed world, nations that are largely responsible for global carbon emissions. The disparity between international promises and actual delivery highlights a disturbing moral and political failure within the global climate framework.
At COP27 and other international platforms, world leaders pledged billions to assist vulnerable nations, including Pakistan, in climate adaptation and recovery. However, the reality remains starkly different. The flow of funds has been minimal, bureaucratically delayed, and often tied to conditions that undermine national autonomy. Pakistan, still grappling with the devastating impacts of the 2022 floods, cannot afford such double standards. While the West preaches climate justice, it practices selective generosity, helping when it suits its geopolitical or economic interests.
This selective compassion undermines the very foundation of global solidarity. Climate finance must not be treated as aid or charity; it is a moral obligation and a form of reparations for decades of environmental exploitation by industrialized nations. Pakistan’s leadership is right to call out this hypocrisy and demand that climate commitments be fulfilled transparently and equitably.
Domestically, Pakistan must also enhance accountability in how climate funds are used, ensuring that every dollar serves communities most at risk. International credibility will strengthen only if internal mechanisms reflect efficiency and integrity.
The time for polite diplomacy is over. Global climate justice cannot coexist with indifference and deceit. If the developed world continues to ignore its moral duty, the gap between rhetoric and reality will not only deepen Pakistan’s crisis, it will also expose the hollow conscience of the international community.
Leave a Reply