ISLAMABAD: Reminding the developed countries of their onus in capping the hazardous carbon emissions, Prime Minister Imran Khan today (Saturday) urged the nations to meet responsibilities in tackling climate change impacts.
Addressing a ceremony of World Environment Day 2021 here at the Convention Center, hosted by Pakistan, the Prime Minister said, “Rich countries, which contribute significantly more, have a greater responsibility to provide funds to ones like ours so that we can fight climate change.”
“The countries which contribute the most towards pollution and have the resources should support those trying to combat climate change,” he said, comparing the aid given by the government to the people in Pakistan and in the United States.
He also praised UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres for reiterating the message that the developed world has to take responsibility and help countries which do not have the resources.
PM Imran lamented the fact that in the past, the world did not pay attention to climate change. “Some countries did, but most did not and Pakistan was among them,” he said, adding that the country’s jungles and forests were destroyed, as more and more people took over the land while rivers became polluted.
The Prime Minister also stated that the world had now been given the chance to correct its course. “This is our chance. In these ten years, the world has to correct its course,” he said, adding that humanity would suffer the consequences of ignoring the effects of climate change.
Highlighting Pakistan’s contributions towards combating climate change, the premier said the country was responsible for less than one percent of global carbon emissions. “Despite this, we decided to do whatever we can to fight global warming,” he added.
Commenting on the government’s 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Programme, he lauded officials for planting one billion trees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and paid tribute to the forest guards. “The timber mafia had slowly destroyed the trees and forests. They were so powerful that no politician was ready to say anything but we confronted them for the first time in KP,” he added.
