Web Desk; Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday voiced deep concern over the devastating effects of climate change on Pakistan, lamenting that the country was bearing heavy losses despite contributing less than one percent to global carbon emissions.
Speaking at a roundtable session titled “Is Humanity Heading in the Right Direction?” during the 9th Future Investment Initiative Conference 2025 in Riyadh, the premier said Pakistan had suffered an estimated $130 billion in economic losses from climate-induced disasters “through no fault of its own.”
“Our carbon emission is less than a fraction of one percent, yet in 2022 we faced catastrophic floods, cloudbursts, and storms,” he said, recalling the devastation that submerged vast areas, destroyed crops, and forced Pakistan to depend on international borrowing for reconstruction.
He compared the situation to “climbing a ladder only to fall back down,” saying that each climate disaster erased years of progress.
The prime minister stressed that Pakistan’s only choice had been to rebuild through loans, which exposed the economy’s vulnerability. However, he maintained that borrowing was not a sustainable solution, declaring that Pakistan was determined to “stand on its own feet.”
PM Shehbaz urged the global community to recognize its shared responsibility and extend meaningful support to developing nations most affected by climate change.
Admitting that Pakistan had made mistakes in the past, he said the government was now implementing “robust and deep-rooted reforms” to strengthen governance and ensure accountability. He highlighted that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) had been fully digitalized and reaffirmed his commitment to fighting corruption “with full might.”
The premier also underlined that Pakistan’s youth — constituting around 60% of the population — represented both a challenge and an opportunity for future growth.
He emphasized that humanity could only progress if all nations shared technology, resources, and solutions collectively. “We must share our bounties and grievances with each other,” he remarked.
Highlighting Pakistan’s ambition, PM Shehbaz vowed to transform the country into “one of the fastest-growing economies” by harnessing its natural resources and human capital.
Responding to a question on artificial intelligence (AI), he said Pakistan was moving swiftly to adopt AI technology because of its vast potential but cautioned that the technology also posed challenges.
He called for constructive dialogue between the Global North and the Global South to ensure AI’s positive and productive use. “There must be synergy between nations so that technology serves humanity, not divides it,” he concluded.
