Sherry Rehman Calls for Urgent Climate Finance Action at COP29

As the COP29 climate negotiations continue in Baku, Azerbaijan, global leaders face mounting pressure to take meaningful action against the climate crisis. Amid the complex discussions, Sherry Rehman, Pakistan’s former climate minister, called for a return to the core urgency of the climate crisis: “We’re here for life and death reasons,” she said during a press briefing on November 18.

In August 2022, flash floods submerged one-third of Pakistan, affecting 33 million people in one of the country’s worst disasters. Roads, farms, and other infrastructure were wiped away by flash floods, leaving millions of people to rely on tainted water supplies. Rehman, who was present when this destruction occurred, underlined how urgent and significant Pakistan’s needs are in the fight against climate change.