Climate Justice: Advocacy for Effective Climate Governing Institutions, Addressing the Needs of the Communities Disproportionately Affected by the Climate Crisis
The effects of climate change disproportionately impact vulnerable communities, exacerbating social inequalities and underscoring the urgent need for inclusive climate action. In Pakistan, climate-induced disasters have inflicted losses worth billions of dollars, particularly in marginalized areas. Despite the establishment of national policies and the Climate Change Act of 2017 aimed at addressing these issues, effective implementation and responsive institutions remained absent. This gap has prompted civil society, led by Transparency International Pakistan (TI Pakistan) to advocate for improved governance, transparency, and accountability to better protect vulnerable communities from the disastrous impacts of climate change.
In April 2023, TI Pakistan launched its Climate Governance Integrity Program (CGIP), marking a significant step forward in the fight for inclusive and transparent climate action. The program tackles a critical challenge: promoting inclusion and transparency in Pakistan’s climate governance frameworks. Through CGIP, TI Pakistan actively engages stakeholders including civil society organizations, citizens, public officials, journalists, and media to advocate for reforms that ensure a more robust, inclusive and transparent approach to tackling climate change.
To strengthen these efforts, TI Pakistan formed a network of civil society organizations across all four provinces. This network aims to promote collaboration, enhance community engagement, and ensure effective governance, transparency, and accountability in climate actions, nationwide. A key initiative under CGIP was the baseline study, “Financing Climate Actions: Enhancing Effectiveness and Transparency in Pakistan’s Climate Governance Frameworks”. TI Pakistan reviewed the existing frameworks driving climate governance and highlighted the need for a paradigm shift in climate governance, one that addresses the institutional and strategic gaps. TI Pakistan also provided key takeaways in 2023 and 2024 and advocated with the federal and provincial stakeholders highlighting the requisite improvements to enhance inclusiveness and integrity in Pakistan’s climate governance frameworks.
The momentum generated by these efforts was further amplified when the Public Interest Law Association of Pakistan (PILAP) filed a petition with the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The petition highlighted the urgency of addressing climate change and called for a more robust governmental response. In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court of Pakistan directed the federal government to establish the Climate Change Authority, a key institution envisioned under the Pakistan Climate Change Act of 2017, and non-operation for more than six years. The Authority is to be headed by a distinguished professional or technocrat appointed by the Prime Minister, while Members must also be hired to lead Adaptation, Mitigation, and Coordination, along with representatives of the Provinces.
The decision represents a major success for civil society led advocacy, pushing for the establishment of climate governing institutions at the heart of addressing a cross-sectoral coordination. Such institutions are also crucial for ensuring that the climate action takes the needs of the communities disproportionately affected by the climate crisis.
Through these initiatives, TI Pakistan continues to champion the cause of climate justice, striving to create a future where governance, transparency, and accountability form the bedrock of Pakistan’s response to climate change.
