PM Shehbaz leaves for Turkiye to address COP31 summit
He will speak in Antalya on November 11 and press developed countries for predictable climate finance, the Foreign Office said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif leaves for Antalya in Turkiye on Tuesday for a visit from November 10 to 12 to attend the Leaders' Summit of the 31st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Foreign Office said.
He will address the summit on November 11 and press the international community for practical measures against climate change, according to the FO statement.
Pakistan's case at the summit rests on its push towards rapid solarisation and the expansion of renewable energy capacity, which the FO described as part of a transition to a cleaner and more resilient economy. The prime minister will also set out work on disaster preparedness and early-warning systems.
He is expected to ask for climate finance that is predictable, adequate and accessible for developing countries, so that they can strengthen their resilience and pursue sustainable development.
On the sidelines, Sharif will attend a high-level roundtable convened by the COP31 presidency and hold bilateral meetings with the Turkish leadership and several other world leaders.
"Prime Minister's participation in the COP31 Leaders' Summit is an expression of Pakistan's strong support for the climate agenda, and will provide Pakistan with an opportunity to reaffirm its commitment towards working closely with the international community to address the climate crisis," the FO said.
The conference opened in Antalya on Monday, where UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged world leaders to "get serious" about tackling the crisis, Geo News reported.
The talks follow a year of severe heatwaves in Europe, major wildfires in Indonesia and catastrophic floods in Nepal, with an exceptionally strong El Nino weather pattern adding to the disruption, according to Geo News. Observers expect few breakthroughs at COP31, the outlet reported, as countries contend with an oil price shock and geopolitical tensions from the US war with Iran and Russia's conflict in Ukraine.
How the reports differ
Dawn and Geo News both reported the November 10-12 visit and the November 11 address, and both carried the solarisation and renewable energy message from the Foreign Office. Geo News alone reported the high-level roundtable convened by the COP31 presidency and the bilateral meetings with the Turkish leadership and other world leaders. Geo News also carried the conference's opening on Monday, Antonio Guterres's call for leaders to "get serious", the year of heatwaves in Europe, wildfires in Indonesia and floods in Nepal, and the expectation among observers that few breakthroughs would come. Dawn's standfirst set out the visit and the solarisation message but stopped before the roundtable and the bilateral meetings.
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