Operationalizing Climate Justice in Pakistan

Climate Justice as the Cornerstone of National Resilience

Since the world is preparing to attend COP30, the discussion on climate action in the world is becoming more and more characterized by the concept of justice, such that the most uninjured by climate change do not bear the heaviest weight.  Climate change has become one of the greatest issues in the world of the twenty-first century that challenges not only the scientific and economic capacity, but also the ethical character of the global cooperation.  The issue of climate justice approaches the dilemma as a moral and fairness problem, identifying the perpetrators of the damage, who pays the price, and who enjoys the solution. To Pakistan this framing is very personal. 

The significant and the well-documented case of Pakistan’s climate vulnerability illustrates the extent to which the floods of 2022 have devastated the country and the indirect suffering of more than 33 million people.  The destruction was certainly not uniformly shared with regard to the geographical distribution of the people affected by the floods as around 70% of them were living in rural areas of Sindh and Balochistan where less than 15% of the national adaptation budget was allocated.  Despite Pakistan being listed as one of the world’s top ten most climate-affected countries, it accounts for only 0.9% of global greenhouse gas emissions.  Swells in monsoon rain and floodwater in 2025 impacted 6.9 million+ individuals, caused economic devastation in nearly 70 districts, thus reiterating not only the scale of recurring climate shocks but also the considerable gaps in the implementation of resilience and adaptation programs. In these examples, it is clear that climate injustice is not a theory in the sky but rather a lived and visible and political reality. Since international attention has shifted to COP30 in Belem, Brazil the debate has moved beyond the idea of emission targets to fair transitions and adaptation lead by the locals. To Pakistan, it is a crucial moment to implement the concept of climate justice to build international support as well as to find internal unity in responding to climate.

Unequal Exposure to Climate Risks

Climate threats have not taken the same impact on all communities.  The geography, socioeconomic level, gender, and availability of resources determine vulnerability.  Low-income individuals like them are often found in risky areas like floodplains or desert areas or in coastal areas where they face danger of flooding, droughts, storms, and sea-level rise.  Women, children and the oppressed generally incur extra expenditures due to the societal responsibilities, restricted movement, and restricted access to decision-making rooms.  This initial form of climate injustice highlights institutional inequality that contributes to climate threats to certain communities.  Viability of climate justice involves consideration of vulnerability measurements in the planning and adaption prioritization to the most vulnerable individuals.

Unequal Distribution of Climate Action Costs

The need to mitigate and adapt to climate change may in itself result in inequities.  Switching to low-carbon technology, renewable energy projects, or resilient infrastructure are all financially and socially expensive, and are often disproportionately paid by the poor areas.  Richer individuals, groups or places can be in a better position to cover these expenses or have subsidies and incentives but poor communities can suffer economically, displacement or limited access to support systems.  The latter face highlights the importance of equitable finance, all-inclusive policy development, and measures that can prevent the expansion of climate action to the existing social imbalances.

Unequal Access to Climate Benefits

Climate justice deals with sharing of benefits of mitigation and adaptation.  Renewable energy, resilient infrastructure to climate change, insurance, and post-disaster aid are often available to groups of people who are wealthier or politically connected and less privileged communities have fewer chances to build resilience.  Climate vulnerability Reduction interventions can end up increasing the existing inequities in case equity is not given due consideration.   The third face of injustice reaffirms the necessity of developing inclusivity, participation, and focus of climate solutions to reach previously marginalized regions.

Taken together, these three faces provide a comprehensive structure for understanding the interface between climate change and social, economic, and political unevenness. Through examination of exposure, cost burdens and benefit distribution, policymakers and researchers can more effectively identify systemic inequities and develop policies that promote just climate action.

Pakistan’s Climate Justice Landscape

Pakistan has been a key champion of loss and damage finance at the global level since its leading role in guiding discussions on COP27, which resulted in the formation of this week’s fund. Elaborating on this phenomenon, it was Pakistan which offered to organize the first ever back-to-back special panel discussions on climate financing in the history of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process during the COP29 (2024, Baku).

The demand for “climate reparations” from Pakistan is based on a moral view which means that countries that have emitted the most greenhouse gases in the past have an ethical obligation to support the most vulnerable to climate change.  Nonetheless, the concept of climate justice is accompanied by a requirement for internal accountability, which guarantees that the funds coming from foreign aid are carefully directed to those regions suffering the most from climate change-induced losses, as opposed to being consumed by red tape.

In addition to that, building up regional interactions with nations having similar climate vulnerabilities like Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka could be the beginning of the South Asian Climate Justice Alliance.  This alliance would amplify the collective voice of the region’s low-emission yet very vulnerable countries, thus empowering them to more effectively demand just climate actions and finances at COP30 and beyond.

COP30 and the Road Ahead

The global climate agenda is moving towards a more equitable, just, and resilient future. During the upcoming negotiations of new commitments under the UNFCCC process, the discussions are expected to revolve around themes like equitable energy transitions, the starting up of the Loss and Damage Fund, and raising funds for adaptation. For Pakistan, these matters are significant gateways to connect local priorities with larger global agendas and push forward the resilience-building projects.

1. Promoting a Just Energy Transition

Equitable energy transitions are a priority for emerging economies. Privilege is given to the community-seeking renewable energy projects as the case in Pakistan. The proposed solutions in areas such as Thar prove that energy security, environmental sustainability, and equitable development can be achieved at the same time, thus creating room for discussion on the future of fair energy transitions.

2. Enhancing Access to Loss and Damage Finance

The development of robust monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems is very important for the countries to be transparent and to be ready to take climate funds. The upgraded institutional systems will be able to demonstrate accountability, increase the trust of the donors, and accelerate the release of grants, especially when it comes to the periods following climate-related catastrophes.

3. Integrating Nature-Based Solutions and Inclusive Development

Restoring forests and managing ecosystems are some of the nature-based initiatives that have been recognized as the most important measures for climate adaptation. Pakistan’s projects, such as the Living Indus Initiative and Recharge Pakistan, can be tied to international financial mechanisms to enhance environmental resilience. At the same time, the integration of local communities’ production of goods and services, especially women, indigenous groups, and disadvantaged populations, guarantees that climate actions being taken are socially inclusive and thus, no one is left behind.

Toward an Equitable Climate Future

Pakistan needs to institutionalize climate justice by incorporating an equity indicator in the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and establishing a Climate Justice Committee in the Ministry of Climate Change.  The community level adaptation and mitigation need to be put at the forefront of international finance and the benefits should be monitored clearly to guarantee accountability.  It is necessary to make sure that all international assistance and UN donor funding is to be channelled through the Government of Pakistan to ensure that help is offered to the most in need communities. 

Climate planning must be inclusive and gender responsive in that there must be at least 30 percent women representation in climate committees and gender issues incorporated in all provincial policies. Just transition strategy must provide trainings to high carbon industry workers and provide microfinance to the impacted populations.  Vulnerability assessments should be part of municipal master planning to make cities resilient to disasters.  Green Climate Fund and the Loss and Damage Facility climate money must be devolved to help with adaptation activities that are led locally.   Be open about allocation by allocating a minimum of 40 percent of cash to poor groups.  All these measures can assist Pakistan in advancing an example of climate governance which is egalitarian, clear, and resilient.

Consequently, climate justice in Pakistan is a major then on the surface a Normative Commitment; it is a very important plan for the worlds and the country’s survival and for the people’s stability and peace.  The floods and droughts have scratched the earth and they are now seen as triggers of the inequalities in the areas where people have been exposed, where they can recover, and where they can have opportunities.  With COP30 approaching, Pakistan has to make a decision: to stay as a symbol of victimization or to take the path of a pioneer in the just implementation of climate measures through inclusive, transparent, and fair actions. Justice in the very oust sense will not be when the resort for the weak is just a matter of government policy or when the least privileged of Pakistanis a woman from Tharparkar, a farmer from Sindh, or a family from an informal settlement in Karachi, Buner, Gwadar start to think of their survival not as a big favour but as their right.

References

Dolšak, N., & Prakash, A. (2022). The politics of climate justice: Three faces of inequality. Cambridge University Press.

Germanwatch. (2024). Global climate risk index 2024: Who suffers most from extreme weather events?  https://www.germanwatch.org/en/cri

Government of Pakistan, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). (2023). Post-disaster needs assessment: Pakistan floods 2022. NDMA.

Government of Pakistan, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). (2025). Monsoon situation report 2025. NDMA.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2023). Sixth assessment report: Climate change 2023—Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. IPCC.

Ministry of Climate Change & Environmental Coordination (MoCCEC). (2024). National adaptation plan of Pakistan 2023–2030. Government of Pakistan.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (2023). Pakistan human development report 2023: Climate, inequality, and resilience. UNDP Pakistan.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). (2022). Handbook on measurement, reporting and verification for developing country parties. UNFCCC Secretariat.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). (2024). Road to COP30: Advancing just transitions and climate resilience. UNFCCC Secretariat.

World Bank. (2023). Pakistan floods 2022: post-disaster damage, loss, and needs assessment. World Bank Group. https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/pakistan/publication/pdna-2022-floods

World Bank. (2025). Pakistan climate and development report 2025. World Bank Group.

Ms. Sehrish Irshad is a climate change and disaster management expert currently working as the Deputy Manager (Plans) at the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)