Climate challenges

THE poisonous smog blanketing Punjab is an immediate threat to public health, but it also points to a larger environmental crisis that Pakistan can no longer address through piecemeal measures. Lahore’s air quality index stood at a hazardous 358 on Wednesday, while other cities struggled under the same toxic haze. Punjab’s government says better monitoring and enforcement have brought improvements over previous years. That is welcome, but the air remains dangerous. While pollution from India compounds the problem, Pakistan must also confront domestic emissions. Moreover, smog is not the country’s only warning. Our climate crises are deeply interconnected. Repeated floods, punishing heatwaves and mounting water stress show how exposed Pakistan is to climate shocks, and how urgently it needs lasting solutions. At COP31, PM Shehbaz Sharif outlined a cleaner energy future that deserves support.

He pointed to nearly 22 gigawatts of rooftop solar capacity added in two years, much of it driven by households seeking relief from expensive electricity. Pakistan has backed a pledge to increase electricity’s share of energy use to 35pc by 2035 and aims for electric vehicles to account for 30pc of new vehicle sales by 2030. These shifts could help reduce fossil-fuel dependence and, especially through cleaner transport, cut harmful emissions. But an energy transition is not, by itself, a climate policy. Pakistan also needs to protect communities from floods and extreme heat, safeguard water supplies and adapt agriculture to changing conditions. The PM rightly called for concessional finance and affordable technology. Rich industrialised countries bear much of the responsibility for global warming and must help vulnerable nations cope. Yet appeals for international climate justice…