ANTALYA, November 12, 2026: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged world leaders to translate climate commitments into concrete action, calling for fair climate financing, stronger international cooperation and protection of water-sharing agreements to help vulnerable countries cope with increasingly severe climate disasters.
Addressing the COP31 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Antalya, Türkiye, the prime minister said countries contributing the least to global emissions were suffering some of the worst consequences of climate change.
He cited Pakistan’s devastating floods in 2022, which affected 33 million people, killed more than 1,700 and caused economic losses exceeding $30 billion.
Recalling the 2025 floods in Buner, Shehbaz shared the tragedy of a young man whose village was swept away just two days before his wedding. He said such disasters reflected the human cost of climate change and served as a warning to the international community.
The prime minister stressed that climate disasters do not respect national borders and that no country could address the crisis alone.
He called for increased grant-based climate financing, greater investment in adaptation and resilience, and financial assistance that would not deepen the debt burden of developing economies.
Pakistan’s Clean Energy Transition
Highlighting Pakistan’s climate initiatives, Shehbaz said the country had added more than 20 gigawatts of distributed solar power capacity over the past two years, while clean energy now accounted for approximately 55% of its energy mix.
He said Pakistan was promoting electric mobility and had set a target of reducing carbon emissions by up to 50% by 2035.
The prime minister also referred to progress on the Chashma-5 nuclear power project, which is expected to generate 1,200 megawatts of low-carbon electricity once operational.
PM Warns Against Weaponising Water
In a separate warning, Shehbaz said water must never be used as a weapon or a means of putting downstream populations at risk.
He stressed that international water-sharing agreements must be implemented in their true spirit to protect lives, livelihoods and regional stability.
The prime minister also thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, First Lady Emine Erdogan and the Turkish people for supporting Pakistan during the devastating floods of 2010 and 2022.
He appreciated Türkiye’s hospitality in hosting COP31 and acknowledged Australia’s role in chairing negotiations.
Concluding his address, Shehbaz said the success of COP31 should be measured not by declarations but by the protection delivered to vulnerable communities, the financial resources mobilised and the practical measures implemented.