Sherry Rehman concerned over climate ministry’s environment policies

ISLAMABAD: Chairperson Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman along with the Committee members expressed serious concerns about the Ministry of Climate Change’s planning, priorities and preparedness in addressing Pakistan’s climate and environmental policies.

The meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change was held with the chair of its Chairperson Senator Sherry Rehman on Wednesday and was attended by key stakeholders, including Coordinator for Climate Change Romina Khurshid Alam, the secretary of the Ministry of Climate Change, and officials from relevant departments.

Senator Sherry Rehman expressed her profound disappointment with the Ministry’s presentation on climate change. “I am appalled at the lack of clarity, coordination, and capacity displayed in the presentation. As the Chair of the Standing Senate Committee, I expected to see a clear strategic plan, priorities, and initiatives to address this pressing issue.”

Marking the urgency and scale of the challenges Pakistan faces, Sherry Rehman said that climate change is a national crisis requiring a coordinated, yet technically proficient response. “I am shocked to see an outdated last presentation with no clear priorities, no flagship initiatives, and no strategic NDC agenda or updates.”

The Senator also voiced grave concerns over the Ministry’s lack of ownership of key initiatives and policies, with a routinised approach that had little hope of impacting policy outcomes or meeting national commitments.

She called for a redesign of priorities as well as the development of a tailored climate finance strategy by the ministry to meet the country’s specific needs and sensibilities. “What is also worrying is the profound level of disconnect within the ministry with its own institutional mandate. It is the ministry’s job to forge strategic partnerships and communication with other ministries, but the institutions within the Ministry of Climate Change are not even coordinating among themselves,” she said.

She pointed out that the Committee was appalled at the egregious lack of coordination amongst the Ministry’s own departments.

Senator Sherry Rehman stressed the need for a comprehensive communication strategy to raise public awareness about climate change. She also critiqued the Ministry for its lack of awareness about plastic regulation and its failure to track Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Additionally, the Senate committee deliberated on the fire incident in the H-9 Sunday Bazaar. The CDA chairman informed that the fire erupted due to an explosion of batteries used for storing solar energy, affecting around 625 stalls.

Sherry Rehman maintained that such bazaars are not safe due to a lack of safety protocols and recommended that they be revamped according to practices followed worldwide.

In her closing remarks, Sherry Rehman urged the Ministry to enhance its institutional capacity, engage experts, and develop a clear plan with defined priorities, adaptation, mitigation, and initiatives. She also requested a detailed report on international engagements, including participation in COP conferences, and called for improved quality and transparency in future presentations.

The meeting was attended by Senator Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur, Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, Senator Naseema Ehsan, Senator Manzoor Ahmad, PM Coordinator on Climate Change Romina Khurshid Alam, Secretary for Ministry of Climate Change and Climate Environmental Coordination Eazaz A. Dar, CDA Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa, DG EPA Farzana Altaf Shah and other senior officials of relevant departments.