Trump wasn't there. Besides him, many other leaders were also absent. We'll discuss this entire situation.
Farana Zahidi is with us. She's the editor of Dialogue Earth and an environmentalist. Let's talk to her about this. Assalamu Alaikum, Fara Alaikum, Assalamu Alaikum. How are you? Owais? Thank you very much for taking the time.
In this COP30 conference, many prominent leaders were not present. The US President was absent. The Chinese President was absent. Narendra Modi was absent. Now, these are the countries with the world's largest populations. All three countries account for approximately 90% of the world's population. And if global leaders aren't participating in this COP, isn't that a sign that they're not taking environmental issues seriously?
Thank you so much for your help. Since November, representatives from more than 100 countries have been gathering in Belém, Brazil. An interesting and noteworthy fact is that this very conference, this very year, at this very time, is also celebrating the tenth anniversary of the famous Paris Agreement, from which all these commitments made by all countries regarding climate change and environmental issues began.
So, in a way, this opportunity is also significant because it's a time to look back. What has happened in the past decade? Regarding the Chinese President and the President of the United States, we know that President Trump has spoken extensively about whether the problems of climate change, climate change, or these disasters have been accurately reflected, or whether this is truly a troubling situation. This has created a bit of doubt and a bit of cynicism regarding this.
Secondly, these important countries are important not only because they are major countries, but especially China and the United States, whose emissions, or the use of fossil fuels, or the amount of fossil fuels used in these countries due to their development, are very significant. Because of this, their input, or their share in climate change, is quite significant.
Countries like Pakistan, which travel extensively, used to be called Third World countries. Now we know them as the Global South. Through the perspectives of those countries, we're now realizing that we're not so much at fault in this whole story as we are the ones suffering the consequences.
And if you remember, Sharief Rehman was Pakistan's Minister of Climate Change during the time of Sharmal Sheikh. She spoke out strongly, and the Loss and Damage Fund was established within the COP, and this happened after the massive floods. So, this is a different COP in many ways.
Seriousness will be observed, and we'll also see what happens next. For example, the Loss and Damage Fund was established in Sharmal Sheikh, but did a country like Pakistan receive the amount or the money that was committed, promised, or pledged to mitigate the effects of climate change and the migration that is taking place? Has this had any impact on people? Have people fulfilled their pledges and fulfilled their commitments?
Therefore, all eyes are on the police right now; only time will tell whether anything will actually come out of this. If you've seen it recently, Bill Gates has also posted something about climate change. It's quite a cynicism. People are second-guessing whether climate change is truly important. This is an interesting time to observe. Now, many questions are being raised about the importance of this conference. Has the importance of this conference been lost due to the lack of interest of these world leaders?
And what impact could it have on global environmental discussions? Obviously, it does have an impact, but let me tell you one thing: the people doing the actual work are not the ones we see on screens. To understand this, we need to go back a little to the beginning of the COP series, this Conference of Parties, which is held in relation to climate change.
So when it first started, it was a negotiation, meaning all the originators could sit together at a table and discuss their issues, and see who could benefit from what, and how we could all work together to address these issues of climate change and environmental issues.
Now, in the COP30 that has been formed, many people believe it has become a funding conference. Originators from the Global South go there because they want promises and commitments that they will be given enough money to address their problems related to climate change.
The big names, the big ones, go there to save face by claiming that our global progress is harming the entire world, that we are using a lot of fossil fuels and that emissions are high. But at the same time, we are also helping the originators. So the original idea of COPS has changed significantly.
What we need to understand is that COPS isn't an event; it's a process. COPS isn't a one-time conference that offers a quick fix. It's an ongoing process that's been going on for years. The core of COPS is the behind-the-scenes negotiations. The world's best minds sit together and think about these issues, and the people who can actually do something about them debate and discuss them.
So, what's the understanding between the originals?
All of these things. So, COPS has changed from what it started. So, we're just seeing that a very big figure, or the most powerful man in the world, isn't attending COPS. But, in reality, COPhas also changed. And it's not talked about enough. So, we need to look at that a little bit.
And I would like to discuss Pakistan a little bit. Pakistan is among the countries most affected by climate change. So, has Pakistan benefited from the COP?
One thing we need to consider is that where the COP30 is happening, it's happening in South America or Brazil. When it happened in Sharm al-Sheikh, as I mentioned earlier, there was a lot of push from the Ministry of Climate Change. Pakistan led the entire issue. However, because it was in Egypt, there was some diplomatic support for Pakistan and Pakistan's perspective. The COP in the UAE, which took place in Dubai, was heavily criticized for being a COP in a petro-state. But even there, Pakistan's diplomatic relations were closer. Pakistan also has good terms with Azerbaijan. Close terms.
In Brazil, keep in mind that Pakistan, which goes with a road map, won't receive much diplomatic support. So, in Latin America, it will be a new flavor this time, and it is becoming a new flavor this time. There won't be enough diplomatic leverage. This is one thing we need to understand. Secondly, it's worth considering that this time, you know, there were massive floods in India, and many people in Pakistan suffered significant losses. This time, the floods in Punjab were particularly severe, affecting Pakistan. Because of that, we see that this time too, the floods should have been highlighted more.
But we see that Pakistan is highlighting other issues, such as air pollution and smoke. So, is one reason for this because we've already discussed floods many times in the COPs, or is it that this time we'll also discuss floods, smog, and air pollution, and try to showcase Pakistan and its problems to the world from a new perspective so we can get more pledges?
This is also something we need to consider. You'll know that Punjab's Chief Minister, Maryam Nawaz, is currently inaugurating the Pakistan Pavilion at the COPs conference in Brazil, and the former New Zealand PM inaugurated it with her. This raises some questions for Pakistani experts on climate change: will the issues in other provinces due to climate change also be addressed in Pakistan, or will the focus be more on Punjab?
So, the government is trying, but all of this needs to be seen. What happens is that the main events of the COP, the ones that make headlines in the news, do get covered. A few days later, I myself attended a COP. I didn't this time, but I have attended before. After a few days, the actual facts start to become clear—two to four days later—about whether anything actually came out of the negotiations.
So let's see where this matter ends. But what will be the focus regarding Pakistan, and will it be a constant, ongoing conversation, and whether it will yield any meaningful results, only time will tell.
