ISLAMABAD, Nov 19 (APP): Pakistan made a strong pitch for a new global climate policy architecture at COP30, arguing that resilience in climate-vulnerable countries can only be achieved through a transformative model that brings together governments, businesses, and communities.
At a high-profile panel at the Pakistan Pavilion jointly held by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) and Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) titled Public–Private–People Partnerships for Climate Resilience and Adaptive Frameworks, Pakistani officials, development finance experts and global corporate leaders called for a decisive shift from traditional public–private partnerships toward an inclusive, people-centred approach, said a press release issued here on Wednesday.
In his welcome note, Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director, SDPI, warned that climate risks “move faster than our institutions,” arguing that the state, market and communities must work together if resilience measures are to succeed. He stressed that many adaptation failures are rooted in the exclusion of local communities from planning processes.
Suleri said Pakistan needs predictable regulations for private capital, alignment between adaptation investments and national plans, and credible, hyper-local climate data to allow insurers and businesses to assess risks accurately. He noted that private sector actors are ready to adopt innovative resilience and clean-tech models but require greater clarity and stability in government policies.
Dr Suleri focused on the need for climate finance to reach frontline institutions, local governments, cooperatives, village development committees, and community organizations, rather than remaining trapped in bureaucratic systems. He warned that a just transition will remain elusive unless people are included in decision-making rather than treated as passive recipients of support.
Abdul Aleem Ahmad, Secretary General, OICCI, reminded delegates that Pakistan remains one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries amid recalling the catastrophic floods of 2022 and 2025. He said these disasters “did not just wash away infrastructure; they washed away lives, livelihoods, and years of progress.”
He argued that Pakistan cannot afford to depend solely on public budgets or international aid, noting that adaptation demands innovative financing models, clear regulatory incentives, and a new ecosystem that encourages private sector investment at scale. According to Ahmad, the Public–Private–People Partnership model offers a way forward by combining public policy support, private innovation and capital, and community ownership.
In her remarks, Aisha Humera Chaudhry, Secretary, Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination said Pakistan’s climate priorities at COP30 revolve around building a policy ecosystem that unlocks private investment, embeds communities in decision-making, and strengthens legal, financial and monitoring frameworks. Pakistan, he said, sees PPPPs as the architecture through which adaptation can be scaled, financed and sustained.
Energy Economy Expert from SDPI, Dr. Khalid Waleed argued that the era of climate disruption requires the expansion of traditional Public–Private Partnerships to incorporate communities as equal partners. He added that Pakistan’s high cost of capital, combined with fiscal tightening under IMF commitments, has made resilience increasingly unaffordable for vulnerable populations. Public–Private–People Partnerships, he said, offer a shared financing structure that blends concessional public capital with private sector efficiency and community-level stewardship.
Waleed called for a shift from small-scale, pilot-driven projects to long-term systems anchored in market creation, stable policies, and stronger alignment between Pakistan’s national climate plans and private sector transition strategies. He urged greater emphasis on indigenizing energy and adaptation solutions, including the local manufacture of renewable energy systems, micro-grids and community-owned energy storage.
Dr. Urs Ruth of Robert Bosch GmbH warned that Pakistan’s industrial transition will require long-term policy stability, strong financing ecosystems, and investment in hydrogen as a future industrial fuel. He stressed that grid stabilization and flexible industrial systems are central to community resilience and cautioned that weak incentive structures risk accelerating carbon leakage under evolving global carbon market rules.
Unilever’s climate lead, Hannah Hislop, outlined the company’s transition plan and its €1 billion Nature Fund, noting that programmes in renewable energy, regenerative agriculture and public–private pilots demonstrate the value of blended climate financing.
IFC’s climate finance chief Aurelien Boyer encouraged Pakistan to climate-proof all future projects, arguing that commercial banks are increasingly interested in green investments if risks are well-managed. He highlighted IFC’s partnerships in Pakistan and pointed to blended finance, carbon markets, insurance innovations and digital technologies as promising tools, urging governments to strengthen existing frameworks rather than reinventing them.
SECP legal adviser Syed Bulent Sohail emphasized the need for strong climate governance, credible carbon market rules, legally sound benefit-sharing systems that protect indigenous communities, and regulatory coherence to support fintech-driven and insurtech-driven climate finance.
