ISLAMABAD: The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Pakistan) on Friday organized a workshop on Integrating Climate Change into Policy and Action at the Pakistan Academy of Sciences to present a draft chapter and receive input from stakeholders on integrating climate change concerns into policy making and development planning .
In his welcome address, former Director General for Environment and Climate Change, Ministry of Climate Change, Irfan Tariq shared a comprehensive overview of the critical needs of documents such as the current National Communication being prepared, further noting that timely submission of these communications is essential for effectively monitoring progress, assessing the impact of climate policies and meeting international commitments under agreements such as the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, the press release said.
Climate and Energy Program Manager, WWF-Pakistan, Nazifa Butt briefed the participants on the ongoing preparations for the TNC and shared the key points of the draft chapter that identified climate-sensitive sectors and the need for targeted policies and action plans.
Scheduled interactive working group meetings with experts and participants culminated in the formulation of strategic pathways for the development, implementation and monitoring of policy that is aware of climate change issues and related needs.
Muhammad Arif Goheer, a prominent climate change expert and director of the Global Climate-Change Impact Studies Center (GCISC), Ministry of Climate Change and Environment Coordination, in his closing remarks, emphasized that strong national communication is essential to align national efforts with global climate goals about climate change.
He stressed that transparency in this communication is essential to building trust and accountability among all stakeholders, including the international community, government bodies and the public. “Transparency in climate change communication allows us to accurately track progress, identify gaps and implement corrective measures early,” he said.
Goheer also emphasized the importance of policy coherence in driving effective climate action. He pointed out that policy alignment across different sectors can significantly increase the impact of climate mitigation and adaptation strategies. He congratulated the organizers for successfully conducting the workshop and engaging key stakeholders. The one-day event was attended by members of relevant government bodies, non-governmental and community organizations (NGOs and CBOs), academia and think tanks.
