Germany committed €120 million during the meeting to aid Pakistan in its fight against climate change, according to a news release released on Wednesday.
The Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Senator of Pakistan met informally on the sidelines of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin with a delegation from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), led by Minister Svenja Schulze.
Germany committed €120 million during the meeting to aid Pakistan in its fight against climate change, according to a news release released on Wednesday.
Discussions between the two sides focused on advancing bilateral cooperation between the two nations on climate adaptation and mitigation strategies.
The meeting’s main points of discussion were improving flood protection, developing Pakistan’s infrastructure for renewable energy, and boosting social safety support initiatives to help vulnerable communities deal with climate shocks. German Federal Minister Schulze promised that the country would give Pakistan €120 million to support the initiatives.
Germany’s support of Pakistan through the climate energy initiative was acknowledged by Minister of Pakistan. The initiative has backed a number of initiatives, such as sub-national climate risk profiling, mainstreaming climate education in higher education, and building financial mobilisation capacity.
The Minister of Pakistan acknowledged that Germany’s support of these initiatives is essential for Pakistan to be able to adapt to the effects of climate change and create a more resilient future.
In addition to enhancing Pakistan’s capacity for climate mitigation and adaptation, Minister Schulze emphasised the significance of continuing to mobilise resources for preventive and corrective measures.
She emphasised that while implementing technical solutions was important for reducing climate change, it was also crucial to prepare societies to deal with future extreme weather by integrating social solutions into the system.
In addition to reiterating Germany’s commitment to assisting Pakistan in these initiatives, Minister Schulze expressed optimism about the advancements that can be made through continued bilateral cooperation.
The ministers looked into potential areas of cooperation with the Global Shield against Climate Risks initiative. This initiative, spearheaded by Germany and unveiled at COP27 in collaboration with the V20 and the G7, seeks to shield vulnerable developing nations and populations from the effects of climate change.
One of the “pathfinder countries” is Pakistan, where initiatives to enhance disaster response and preparedness as well as social security systems in the event of a climate disaster will be implemented first.
The discussion came to a close with potential areas for future collaboration, including looking into the potential of green hydrogen as a way to ensure Pakistan’s energy security. The ministers expressed hope that Germany and Pakistan could work together in the future to advance efforts to combat climate change’s effects and create a more sustainable future for all.