Climate Justice at Stake: Pakistan’s $20 Billion Losses Demand Global Action, Says Justice Shah

Supreme Court Justice Mansoor Ali Shah has revealed that Pakistan has suffered $20 billion in losses due to climate change, while promises of a global fund for the country remain unfulfilled.

Speaking at the Post-COP 29 Dialogue Seminar in Islamabad, Justice Shah, the senior-most judge of Pakistan’s apex court, emphasized the urgent need to address climate finance and environmental challenges. He warned that failing to act on climate finance would widen the gap between developed and developing nations.

Justice Shah highlighted that Pakistan’s constitutional courts are actively reviewing environmental issues, noting the severe climate challenges the country faces. He pointed out that judges in Pakistan must consider disaster management and other climate-related dimensions in their rulings. Citing the Capital Development Authority (CDA) case, he underscored the need for eco-friendly urban planning.

Calling climate financing critical, Justice Shah stated that funds could be sourced from both public and private sectors, asserting that “climate finance is the new climate justice.”

Reflecting on past natural disasters like devastating floods, he cautioned that without action on climate finance, the disparity between developed and developing nations would escalate. He urged the government to clarify the allocation and use of climate finance funds, questioning their current utilization.

Justice Shah lamented Pakistan’s weak grasp of climate science and criticized the unfulfilled $100 billion commitment for Pakistan, despite the country’s significant losses. “We are chasing illusions but achieving nothing,” he remarked.

The seminar underscored the dire need for transparent and effective climate policies to mitigate the nation’s vulnerability to climate change.