As Convener of the Cross Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Pakistan, I was pleased to welcome Consul General Raza to our meeting on 8 November. The Consul General shared these shocking images of how monsoon floods left one third of the country under water, with houses, hospitals, industry, and livestock all just washed away by the power of the water. (Please be warned the video contains distressing images of destruction.)

 

 

The Consul General also recognised the generosity of communities across Scotland, and the Scottish Government, in donating urgently needed funds to help get aid to millions of people in the worst hit provinces, and called for further support, both financial and in terms of Climate Emergency expertise.

Research shows that Pakistan contributes less than 1% of the world’s carbon footprint. But it is in the top 10 countries worst affected by devastating climate change.

At the COP27 summit this month the First Minister confirmed Scotland’s commitment to pay developing countries for what is known as ‘Loss and Damage’ as they bear the brunt of the Climate Emergency while bearing little responsibility for causing it.

Having pledged £2 million last year, the First Minister committed a further £5 million to Loss and Damage at COP27. The money will come from the Scottish Government’s £36 million climate justice fund and grants will be delivered in a way that ensures communities in countries most impacted by the climate crisis have a clearer say on how the money should be spent.

Professor Saleem Huq, Director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development, said: The Scottish Government’s leadership in this area, including this latest funding pledge, is welcome and I hope it will prove an inspiration to other countries to take action to provide funding for loss and damage with urgency at COP27.’

Thanks in part to Scotland’s leadership on Loss and Damage, other countries have indeed taken action and committed funds for this essential and urgent work to tackle the Climate Emergency.

We can be very proud of the leadership Scotland is demonstrating to ensure that the world listens to the people of the Global South. COP27 can and must mark a turning point in ensuring the views, experiences and perspectives of the Global South assume a far more central role. For all our sakes.

#climateemergencynow #pakistanfloods #LossAndDamage #COP27 #