The citizens of Pakistan have spoken. But is the state listening? After SunriseThe Breathe Pakistan conference held earlier this year, a declaration of climate justice has now been prepared. It describes a clear path about how the country must rethink its relationship with the environment and respond to the climatic crisis.
But while citizens ask for transformation, the government continues to respond with tokenism. Tagged as the first ‘climate budget’ of Pakistan, the FY26 budget should have marked a turning point. Instead, he has revealed the superficial commitment of the government with the climate challenge.
As noted, the budget resorts to green washing, using the language of sustainability to mask what are essentially fiscal measures. A Carbon Tax of RS2.5 per liter on oil derived products and a 10 percent tax on imported solar panels are presented as climate friendly, however, they disproportionately load the poor and discourage renewable adoption.
Meanwhile, coal -based energy projects continue without control, and the consumption of fossil fuels remains essential for energy policy. This is not climate leadership; It is a green -dressed income collection.
This budget fails where it matters most: in the construction of resilience. Pakistan is among the most vulnerable countries to the climate in the world. However, instead of helping communities prepare and survive climatic shocks, the budget continues to invest money in heavy mitigation projects such as prey and infrastructure. While such investments can be part of the long -term objectives, they do little for the millions that already lose homes, livelihoods and lives to today’s climatic disasters. According to the analysis, the 87pc of the climate budget is intended for mitigation, while only 10 percent are assigned to adaptation. The tragic deaths of 18 tourists on the Swat River are only the last reminder that climatic volatility is not a distant concern, it is our current reality.
The government must urgently go beyond superficial gestures. To begin with, climatic decisions must be based on facts, not on politics, guided by independent science and open to public scrutiny.
Second, the government must concentrate on helping people and places that already hit hard to finance flood protection, rebuild damaged areas and prepare for future disasters, instead of waiting until it is too late.
Third, we must stop copying foreign models and support local solutions that really work, from traditional agricultural practices to forest protection directed by the community. Real climate action needs serious reform. The Government must stop dragging their feet, establish the promised climatic authority, fondo key sectors such as forests and agriculture and hold pollutants and officials responsible. Parliament must study, discuss and translate this climate statement into law.
Climate justice requires laws that work, budgets that deliver and a government that leads from the front. Above all, it requires collective resolution, not only of citizens, but of those in power.
Posted in Dawn, July 8, 2025
