Punjab Chief Minister to Share Climate Efforts and Meet Global Leaders at COP30 - As-Salaam-Alaikum
As-Salaam-Alaikum. Punjab’s chief minister, Maryam Nawaz, has travelled to Brazil to take part in the COP30 climate summit, where she will present her government’s environmental projects and meet international leaders, the provincial administration said on Thursday.
Around 50 heads of state and government are expected in the rainforest city of Belém for talks ahead of the UN climate negotiations starting next week and running until Nov. 21.
Maryam Nawaz leads Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, which was hit hard by floods in late August that killed more than 130 people and displaced over 2.6 million, while destroying large areas of crops. Her administration is also working to address rising air pollution across Punjab, particularly in Lahore, where smog continues to affect millions.
“At COP30, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif will present an update on Punjab’s flagship initiatives,” the provincial government said. “She will brief attendees on the ‘Clean Punjab’ programme and e-mobility projects.”
The “Suthra Punjab” (Clean Punjab) drive is described by the provincial government as the province’s largest sanitation and waste-management effort.
Sharif is also scheduled to meet world leaders and senior UN officials to speak about climate-resilient regional leadership and to outline wildlife and environmental reforms her government is implementing.
Officials noted she will hold talks with representatives from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank’s global climate director, the Global Green Growth Institute and United Nations Development Programme staff.
Her visit comes as Punjab continues to face frequent climate-related crises, including floods, heatwaves and severe air pollution. Pakistan remains one of the countries most affected by climate change, despite contributing less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The 2022 floods were particularly devastating, killing nearly 1,700 people, flooding large parts of the country and causing estimated losses of over $30 billion.
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