ISLAMABAD   -  Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Vice President Sherry Rehman yesterday called for urgent and actionable commitments to combat climate change and ensure sustainability in Pakistan.

Speaking at the First Pakistan Sustainability Summit, held to mark World Sustainability Day, Senator Sherry Rehman, who is also the Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, urged to foster a conversation that moves beyond rhetoric, “Sustainability must mean something beyond a collection of declaratory policies. It has to translate into actionable, measurable outcomes.”

She stressed that “Sustainability is becoming the standard UN language for resource crunches and circularity,” and urged all stakeholders to amplify conversations that can drive action. “When we make planning commitments, we must go beyond words,” she said, lamenting the prevalence of policies that remain declaratory and lack actionable frameworks.

With Pakistan being the 5th most vulnerable country to climate change, Senator Rehman highlighted the urgent need to address climate deficits. She emphasized the importance of aligning resilience, adaptation, and mitigation efforts at the multilateral level, ensuring that Pakistan remains at the key negotiating table in international climate discussions, such as COP 29. “Pakistan needs to be there when every country submits its NDCs and asks for joint pledges after stocktakes,” she added.

Pointing to the $348 billion that Pakistan needs in climate finance for mitigation and adaptation efforts, Senator Rehman reiterated the importance of Pakistan amplifying its voice on global platforms. “We cannot be bystanders in a conversation that directly impacts our survival,” she said. “We must remain on key committees and ensure that sustainability means something to every ministry, beyond just jargon.”

Senator Rehman pointed to water and food security as clear country concerns, and called for an urgent action on solid waste management, noting that “Sustainability is about triggering action and creating constituencies that are directly involved in these efforts.”

She expressed concern about Rawal Dam, which is inundated with 9 million gallons of sewage-contaminated water daily, further compounding Pakistan’s water pollution crisis. She called on the government to address these issues with immediate action.

The PPP leader reminded the audience that climate and environmental protection must encompass decreasing pollution, protecting biodiversity, and conserving food and agricultural resources. “Lahore and Delhi are competing for the dubious title of the world’s most polluted city,” she said, highlighting how Lahore recently topped the list. 

In a stern critique of the global climate response, Senator Rehman warned that “the rest of the world is sleepwalking through the climate crisis.” She urged the global community to take stock of its failings, pointing out that “global emissions have not come down after 30 international conferences, and we keep talking without binding action.”

“Pakistan contributes less than 1% to global emissions, yet we are on the frontlines of climate impacts,” Senator Rehman said. She described climate change as a trap, where countries like Pakistan find themselves “trapped in a cycle of using limited finances to save lives while resources for recovery remain scarce.” She highlighted the fact that emissions continue to rise, showing no sign of peaking, and that “We cannot keep talking while failing to deliver binding commitments.”

Senator Rehman called for all stakeholders to align on clear, actionable strategies that will protect Pakistan’s future generations. “Sustainability must mean something concrete—otherwise, it will remain just another lofty ideal. Let’s make sure we don’t just talk, but act.”

The First Sustainability Summit was organized by Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA), the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MoCC&EC), and NUSTainable.