Sherry Rehman, German minister discuss climate change cooperation

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman and Minister of State at the German Foreign Office Dr Tobias Lindner on Monday discussed possible areas of cooperation between Pakistan and Germany in the fields of renewable energy, climate adaptation, and mitigation.

During the meeting held at the Ministry of Climate Change, the two ministers also exchanged views on the importance of international collaboration in addressing the global challenge of climate change.

German Ambassador Alfred Grannas was also present in the meeting, a news release said.

Sherry Rehman highlighted Pakistan’s vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events such as forest fires and heatwaves, and the melting of glaciers in the north of Pakistan.

She expressed her appreciation for Germany’s assistance to Pakistan in tackling climate change, particularly on the recently launched Strengthening Climate Adaptation and Resilience (SAR) project in partnership with GIZ and MoCC, and the inclusion of Pakistan as one of the pathfinder countries for the Global Shield against Climate Risk.

The meeting concluded with a joint commitment to further strengthen the partnership between Pakistan and Germany in addressing the challenges of climate change and to work towards a sustainable future for all.

Sherry Rehman also met Professor Jean Pascal Van Ypersele, the candidate for the post of Chair of the inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), accompanied by Ambassador of Belgium Charles Delogne.

They discussed the current climate crisis and how the IPCC could better serve the needs of those most affected by climate change.

The visiting dignitaries expressed their condolences on the loss of life and property in the catastrophic floods that devastated Pakistan in 2022 and affected 33 million people.

Professor Ypersele expressed his commitment to making the IPCC more inclusive and responsive to the needs of communities most impacted by climate change.

Sherry Rehman warmly welcomed Professor Ypersele’s candidacy and expressed her best wishes for his endeavours. She emphasized the importance of IPCC’s role in global cooperation and collaboration to address the urgent challenges of climate change and its impacts on vulnerable communities.