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 1% to global carbon emissions, it is among the worst affected by climate change in his speech at a United Nations event in Vienna.

Speaking on the theme “Sustainable Development as a Pathway to Global Peace and Prosperity,” the Prime Minister emphasized that sustainable development must be inclusive and equitable, leaving no one behind. “Development cannot be called 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 countries contributing the least to global emissions were paying the heaviest price in terms of climate change, economic volatility and debt distress.

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

“These disasters fundamentally undermine human security,” he said, emphasizing that sustainable development must be anchored in equity, justice and fair play. “The neighboring country continues to violate the Indus Water Treaty. Threats have been made to use water as a weapon,” he added.

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

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

Prime Minister Shehbaz reiterated Pakistan’s constant advocacy of dialogue, diplomacy and multilateralism as the only viable means of resolving disputes and preventing conflicts, despite aggression and violations of international commitments.

Highlighting Vienna’s unique role within the United Nations system, he said the city was home to key institutions responsible for counter-terrorism, crime prevention, industrial development and the peaceful uses of nuclear and outer space technology.

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Pakistan, he said, greatly appreciates 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 remains committed to supporting their mandates.

Prime Minister Shehbaz further said 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 insisted that “artificial intelligence should not be limited to selected groups: it must reach all of humanity.”

He also highlighted the importance of capacity building, knowledge sharing and technology transfer to ensure that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and biotechnology benefit all of humanity rather than a privileged few.

“Unresolved digital divides will soon become deep-seated development divides,” he warned, urging the international community to address the root causes of global challenges instead of just managing their consequences.

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

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 several,” he said, warning that poverty, over-indebtedness, mass displacement and unresolved political conflicts were intensifying global instability.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, also addressing the event, said Pakistan remains 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 human rights around the world.

“The mandates of the United Nations 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 the 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 combat crimes that drain development resources.

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

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

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

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

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

He highlighted Pakistan’s partnership with the agency, noting that the country “is not only a beneficiary of the IAEA technical cooperation program, but also contributes to the work of the IAEA by providing its experts and organizing international training for IAEA member states.”

Grossi recognized Pakistan’s expertise in peaceful nuclear technology and the high caliber of its engineers, scientists and technicians. He “appreciated Pakistan’s contribution to the work of the IAEA in the areas of nuclear safety and security” and said Pakistan “is well placed to assist other IAEA member states in peaceful applications of nuclear technology”, the statement said.

He said he visited different nuclear facilities in Pakistan, including the latest unit under construction, Chashma, which he said was quite impressive. He also expressed enthusiasm 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 a signing ceremony of the UNIDO Pakistan Partnership Program 2025-2030, the UNODC Country Program for Pakistan and a cooperation agreement between the Lahore Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology and the IAEA.