Pakistan established its first ‘Climate Change Authority’, as required under Section 5(1) of the Climate Change Act 2017. Under Section 5(1), the Climate Change Authority should have been established by the “minister-in-charge of the Federal Government”. More recently, a bench of the Supreme Court, comprising three Justices, ordered the establishment of the Climate Change Authority. The Supreme Court order followed a petition by the Public Interest Law Association of Pakistan.
Under Section 8 of the Climate Change Act 2017, functions of the Climate Change Authority include, among others, developing and implementing comprehensive adaptation and mitigation policies, establishing institutional mechanisms for their execution, and securing funding for climate initiatives. They also include preparing national and local climate action plans, maintaining greenhouse gas emissions data, advising on legislative measures, promoting research and awareness, and fulfilling international reporting requirements.
Other Climate Change Bodies in Pakistan
The Climate Change Act 2017 also provided for the establishment of the Pakistan Climate Change Council, which consists of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, other government officials, and the chairman of the Pakistan Climate Change Authority. The Climate Change Council is tasked with overseeing the enforcement of climate change laws, integrating climate concerns into government decision-making, and approving and monitoring adaptation and mitigation strategies to ensure Pakistan meets its international climate obligations.
In addition, Pakistan has a ‘Standing Committee on Climate Change’, which has its origins in Pakistan’s main climate litigation case. In 2015, Mr Ashgar Leghari, a law student and farmer, filed a public interest lawsuit against the government over its failure to implement the 2012 National Climate Change Policy. Mr Leghari’s family’s farm was suffering due to climate change. He argued that the government was infringing on his fundamental rights due to its failure to implement climate policies. The High Court of Lahore agreed with Mr Leghari and ordered the implementation of climate policies. Part of the order constituted the establishment of a Climate Change Commission, tasked with monitoring the implementation of Pakistan’s climate policies. The Climate Change Commission operated under judicial supervision. In January 2018, the Climate Change Commission was replaced by the Standing Committee on Climate Change, which continues to overview implementation of the climate policies, but also allows for cooperation between Pakistan’s executive and judicial branches. The Standing Committee on Climate Change is predominantly focused on legislative efforts.
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