Former climate change minister and Senator Sherry Rehman strongly criticized the federal government for slashing the climate and environment protection budget in the fiscal year 2025-26.
The budget under the ‘environment protection’ head has been reduced drastically from Rs7.2 billion to Rs3.1 billion, with funds for ‘pollution abatement’ also cut from Rs6.29 billion to Rs3.1 billion.
Senator Rehman expressed concern that this severe reduction in domestic climate funding will increase Pakistan’s dependency on international aid. However, she pointed out that globally, aid funding for climate purposes is also being reduced, which compounds the challenge for Pakistan.
She highlighted the urgency of climate resilience in Pakistan, noting the extreme temperatures reaching up to 53°C in southern cities like Balochistan and Sindh, making Pakistan one of the hottest and most climate-vulnerable countries in the world.
Pakistan was ranked the most vulnerable country to climate change in 2022 by the Climate Risk Index due to extreme weather events such as unprecedented floods affecting millions and causing significant loss of life.
Rehman also criticized the government’s lack of clear policy direction and contradictions in climate action despite allocating large sums for climate-resilient development. She emphasized the need for innovative and structured climate financing solutions, including domestic resource mobilization and improved institutional capacity, to bridge the large funding gap estimated at $340 billion for climate sustainability.