Berlin: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at a joint press conference along with her Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari announced  ten million euros in aid for flood victims. Expressing sympathy for families suffering due to devastating floods, she said Pakistan was most affected country by climate change. She said current devastation in Pakistan was a reminder to world about dramatic consequences of climate change.

“Pakistan is one of hardest hit countries and pays a high price for global CAT emissions this is why we will work with all our energies at Cop 27 to achieve fair distribution of cost of climate change and issue of loss and damage,” she highlighted. On bilateral relations, she said Germany intends to diversify its relation with Pakistan in economic spheres. She said German companies are looking forward to invest in Pakistan, particularly in infrastructural projects. Bilawal called for translating decades of goodwill and cooperation between Pakistan and Germany into synergetic partnership for benefit of two peoples.

Talking about recent floods, he said climate catastrophe in Pakistan could not be defined in words, as one-third of country was underwater and one in seven Pakistanis were affected. He said floods had destroyed over a million houses and country was also facing looming food crisis in its wake. 

“We are grateful for German assistance in time of natural calamity.” But I want to get justice for my people as UN says this is a question of justice. Pakistan produces less than one percent of global carbon footprint but we are among 10 most climate-stressed countries on planet and this is unfair that these 33m people are paying in form of their lives and livelihoods,” Bilawal noted. He said Pakistan now needed its own “green revolution and green politics”.

Published in The Daily National Courier, October, 08 2022

Like Business on Facebook, follow @DailyNCourier on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.