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Pakistan launches Climate Change Financing Framework to mainstream climate change into planning and budget systems
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To prove its commitment to climate action, Pakistan has launched a landmark ‘Climate Change Financing Framework’ (CCFF) on Monday together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
This initiative will make Pakistan’s existing climate change policy more effective, prove its future climate action and help access global climate funds. It will create a robust monitoring system that can gauge the adequacy and effectiveness of financing.
Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Mushahid Ullah Khan formally launched the Report in Islamabad on Monday.
“This framework would be milestone in bringing climate change in mainstream of planning and finance system that can help in effectively addressing climate change challenges” the Minister said
This aims to make existing responses to the challenges and opportunities posed by climate change more effective, and positions the country to better engage in negotiations and resource mobilization at the international level.
“There is more need to create awareness on climate change issue since we are living under glaciers and have serious threats. The desertification is increasing in Pakistan whereas our contribution in carbon emission is only 0.08 per cent and among the top ten countries most affected by climate change,” the Minister added.
Two key documents were launched to improve how climate change is integrated into its budget and public financial and economic management.
The first, known as Climate Change Financing Framework (CCFF) 2017, outlines a reform agenda constituting new policies and processes to better align climate finance to existing climate policy objectives in Pakistan. The CCFF links policy and budgeting to increase the transparency of allocations while improving the effectiveness of existing public finance.
The second report, Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review (CPEIR) 2017, provides an overview of the landscape of current climate policy and budget spending in the country, with a view to improve future climate action.
Pakistan is the fourth country after Indonesia, Vietnam and Bangladesh to adopt the comprehensive climate change financing approach.
“Pakistan is among the top ten countries globally affected by climate change and has experienced these effects dramatically over recent years through devastating floods and catastrophic heat waves. For Pakistan to respond to these challenges a comprehensive approach is needed as part of planning and budgeting,” highlighted Neil Buhne, UNDP Resident Representative.
“While climate finance and assistance is increasing, it is still inadequate for the needs. Therefore, all available resources must be used more effectively if countries are to minimize the effects of climate change.”
Explaining the significance of documents, Buhne said, “CCFFs have also been developed, with UNDP support and assistance from the United Kingdom and Sweden, in Indonesia, Cambodia and Bangladesh. This helps each of these countries to budget and plan better to adopt to climate change, as the CCCF here will help Pakistan to do this.”
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The overall results found that Pakistan’s climate expenditure compares well with other countries with the four provinces and the Federal Government spending a national average of around 8 percent of total expenditures on activities related to climate change.
The CPEIR Report outlined all climate relevant expenditure federally and in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh.
The review also shows that most Federal funds lean towards mitigation activities that aim to curb greenhouse gas emissions) whereas most provincial funds are oriented towards adaptation (which aim to adapt to the effects of climate change.
“This is a considerable achievement as Pakistan is one of very few countries that have undertaken CPEIRs that comprehensively cover all provinces as well as the federal level” noted Neil Buhne.
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