Faisal Farooq
As COP29 concluded in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, Pakistan along with other developing countries, issued a stark warning about the deepening divide between lofty global climate promises and the pressing, unmet needs of vulnerable nations facing the brunt of climate change.
Confusion remains regarding the success of COP29 in achieving its objectives, including enabling the United Nations and global stakeholders to assess the Global Stocktake under the 2015 Paris Agreement, review Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and introduce new pledges and policies to address the troublingly slow progress toward meeting the 2030 net-zero targets set by various countries.
Pakistan spent more than $250,000 to present its case on the global stage, emphasising the country’s compelling climate challenges. However, the effectiveness of its efforts in achieving its goals remains uncertain.
Expressing deep concerns over the $300 billion climate funding pledge, environmental organisations and climate experts questioned whether this commitment would be enough to address the escalating climate crisis and support those most affected by extreme weather events.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) termed the COP29 agreement “a weak financial deal”, saying the lack of urgency shown by world leaders in Baku is “frustrating”. In a statement, it said climate change is not a distant threat; it is happening, and people around the world are already suffering. It noted, “Protecting citizens from the worsening impacts will cost significantly more money, yet EU leaders and other major historical polluters continue to stall and refuse to take responsibility and open their wallets.”
Climate Action Network (CAN) said the climate summit left a “trail of broken promises” and failed to deliver the results “urgently needed to address the escalating climate crisis”. In the eyes of the umbrella organisation of climate entities, the rich countries are responsible for “the failed outcome” of the summit. “The talks were characterised by a lack of transparency, weak leadership, and insufficient action on climate finance and mitigation. And fell short of the promises of the Paris Agreement,” it said.
Dr Khalid Waleed, who is currently serving as Research Fellow and Head of Energy and Climate at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), believes Pakistan played a key role by supporting the collective stance of the G77 plus China, which advocates for a new collective quantified goal (NCQG) of climate finance, setting a target of $300 billion annually from developed countries to assist developing nations with climate challenges.
He noted, “While Pakistan acknowledges that this amount is still insufficient, it sees it as a positive step, insisting on a more ambitious and rapid increase.”
He further emphasised that a key achievement of COP29 was the operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund, a milestone that Pakistan, leading the G77 plus China group, has been at the forefront of advocating for and shaping since its inception at COP27.
He believes Pakistan achieved significant results in climate diplomacy and fostering regional collaboration by organising several bilateral sessions, including one chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. These sessions focused on climate finance and presented a compelling economic case for the country’s climate challenges while linking climate issues to broader development prospects.
Dr Waleed was quite optimistic about the adoption of Article 6 on carbon markets, which offers Pakistan a chance to trade carbon credits with countries struggling to meet climate goals. Pakistan also presented its climate finance strategy and carbon market guidelines, attracting interest from international organisations.
Dr Waleed said the frustration comes from the fact that the pledged amount includes grants and loans, and wealthier countries waited until the last minute to present their final proposals. “This dissatisfaction, expressed by delegates from the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), reflects the broader concerns of the Global South, including Pakistan, which is hit hard by climate change but lacks the financial resources to cope,” he added.
He stated that the outcomes of COP29 highlight the urgent need for Pakistan to develop a comprehensive and forward-thinking climate action plan. In his view, Pakistan must focus on effectively accessing international climate finance to tackle its climate vulnerabilities. He added, “Strengthening its institutional capacity to secure funds, such as the NCQG and competitive sources like the Green Climate Fund, along with exploring bilateral green financing partnerships with countries like China, are crucial steps forward.”
Dr Sher Muhammad, an environmental expert, said COP29 nearly ended in failure and concluded with a disappointing agreement. He, however, said this agreement offers a foundation to build upon. According to him, the approval for creating a UN-managed global carbon market under Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement was a positive step, and this framework aims to promote international trading of carbon credits, which have faced challenges such as scams and limited global uptake.
Ramesh Bhushal, a Kathmandu-based journalist who has been covering climate conferences since 2009, termed COP29 “a failure”, particularly in terms of finance. He pointed out that the amount developed countries agreed to mobilise is less than one-third of what developing countries had demanded.
“More importantly, the principle of consensus in decision-making was also breached at this COP, as the Azerbaijan presidency pushed the decision through for adoption despite several countries wishing to express their dissatisfaction in the final plenary before the agreement was adopted,” he added.
Bhushal noted that countries in South Asia were particularly unhappy with the outcome in Baku, with India strongly opposing the financial decision and expressing dissatisfaction with the adoption process. The Least Developed Countries (LDCs) group also described the outcome as a betrayal.
He further stated that, given the weak climate finance deal, it is very unlikely that the region, which is severely impacted by climate change, will receive adequate support to address the crisis. Additionally, it remains unclear whether the $300 billion pledged will come from public finance or be dominated by private investments.
One of the major factors influencing the negotiations in Baku was the potential return of climate sceptic Donald Trump as president of the United States. As the world’s largest economy, the biggest historical emitter of greenhouse gases, and a leading producer of oil and gas, Trump’s reelection loomed large. Set to take office in January, he has promised to pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement on climate change, just as he did during his first term from 2017 to 2021, and has repeatedly dismissed climate change as “a hoax”.
Pakistan welcomed the adoption of the Baku Climate Unity Pact with mixed feelings as the Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Climate Change, Romina Khurshid Alam, stressed that the targets set by developed countries remain insufficient to address the needs of developing nations. She criticised the gap between the pledges of developed nations and the needs of developing countries to implement their climate plans, stating that climate justice is not charity, but a moral obligation.
Pakistan requires substantial funding to adapt its systems and infrastructure to the pressing demands of climate change. This includes investment in transport, urban planning and development, water management, disaster preparedness, capacity building, grassroots community responses, and the adoption of technology to scale effective solutions. The time for promises has passed; urgent action is needed now as this region faces an escalating climate crisis that demands immediate attention.
For countries such as Pakistan, which already face high levels of poverty and limited resources, the disasters are not only a humanitarian crisis but also an economic one. The growing frequency of such extreme events makes it clear that Pakistan cannot afford to prepare for or recover from these disasters on its own.
The pressure on developed countries, especially the US to fulfil their climate responsibilities will be growing in the coming days. The world is watching to see whether the wealthiest nations are serious about tackling the climate crisis, or whether they will turn their backs, leaving countries like Pakistan to suffer the consequences.
Climate advocates believe that the divisions revealed at the conference, along with the growing mistrust of the process among poorer nations, will present a challenge for Brazil as it prepares to host COP30.
