Premier to address COP31 Leaders’ Summit, urge global community to take concrete action against climate change
PM Shehbaz Sharif departs for Pakistan from Antalya, Turkiye on April 18, 2026. Photo: AFP
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to visit Turkiye from November 10 to 12 to attend the Leaders’ Summit of the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Foreign Office (FO) said on Tuesday.
“The prime minister will address the Leaders’ Summit on 11 November 2026, during which he will urge the global community to take concrete actions to address the threat posed by climate change to the planet,” said the statement issued by the FO.
It further added that the prime minister would highlight Pakistan’s steps towards “rapid solarisation and expansion of its renewable energy capacity” as part of the country’s transition towards a “cleaner and more resilient economy”.
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Curtain Raiser: Visit of Prime Minister to Türkiye to attend Leaders’ Summit of COP-31
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— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) November 10, 2026
He will also highlight Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen “disaster preparedness and early-warning systems.”
“In addition, he will also call for predictable, adequate and accessible climate finance for developing countries to strengthen their resilience and pursue sustainable development,” the FO said.
The statement said that the prime minister would also attend a high-level roundtable convened by the presidency of COP-31 on the sidelines of the Leaders’ Summit and “hold bilateral meetings with the Turkish leadership as well as several other world leaders.”
The FO said PM Shehbaz’s participation in the summit was an expression of Pakistan’s “strong support for the climate agenda”.
It added that the visit would provide Pakistan with an opportunity to “reaffirm its commitment towards working closely with the international community to address the climate crisis”.
Pakistan has consistently called on developed countries to provide greater financial and technical assistance to developing nations facing the effects of climate change, arguing that countries contributing the least to global greenhouse gas emissions were bearing a disproportionate share of climate-related damage. Pakistan contributes less than one per cent of global emissions but remains among the countries most vulnerable to climate change.
Pakistan also played a prominent role in negotiations at the 2022 COP27 summit in Egypt, where it pushed for the establishment of a Loss and Damage Fund to help vulnerable developing countries recover from climate-related disasters. The fund’s establishment was hailed by then prime minister Shehbaz Sharif as a significant outcome of the summit, while Pakistan urged developed countries to fulfil their commitments.
Islamabad has also repeatedly urged developed countries to fulfil their commitment to mobilise $100 billion annually in climate finance for developing nations, while calling for greater funding for adaptation and disaster resilience. Pakistan’s position has been that financial assistance should be predictable, adequate and accessible to countries facing the growing costs of climate change. Its calls for climate finance and adaptation support were highlighted ahead of COP27.
