ISLAMABAD, FEB 07 (APP): Acting President Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday urged the youth to take lead of the Green Pakistan initiative through research, advocacy and innovation to ensure inclusive climate resilience at the national level.

In his keynote address at the closing session of Breathe Pakistan International Climate Change Conference, the acting president reaffirmed the country’s commitment to address gravest challenges of climate change.

He said that Pakistan had endured devastating floods, droughts and glacier melting causing floods due to climate change despite it’s least share to the global carbon emissions.

“Climate Change is a living reality. Pakistan needs support for technology transfer and capacity building to ensure climate resilience,” he said.

Acting President Gilani  mentioned that Pakistan had taken indigenous steps to contain climate change impacts on the region mainly renewable energy (RE) adoption like solar and hydropower projects to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

The country, he said was also exploring climate finance and carbon markets to mobilize climate finance.

He underscored that early warning systems and disaster management frameworks were critical to protect communities.

The government, he said was holding dialogue with communities, provincial governments and development partners to ensure improved and holistic climate action.

He added that fight against climate change was not possible without global support and global commitment for international climate finance was critical to ensure access of least developed nations to climate finance for adaptation and mitigation.

“We need to equip the young change makers with skills, technology and knowledge to lead community level climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. Climate action is a movement that demands relentless commitment and devotion,” he said.

Aban Marker Kabraje of UNEP said the speakers and experts rendered quality discourse, subject matter and knowledge in their speeches and addresses.

The interventions were rich full of enormous information required to address climate change, she added.

Folerence Roll, FAO Country Head presented the outcomes of the Breathe Pakistan Conference.

The conference provided a great opportunity to showcase how media can lead climate action, she said , adding, “The first outcome is on key aspect that climate change affects all aspects and components of society and multi sectoral and multidisciplinary action to address, encourage federal and provincial governments to join resources to address it.”

She added that climate finance was the second important outcome and demanded Pakistan to mobilize international agenda on climate finance and enhance it’s capacities of accessing climate finance.

The living Indus Initiative was a national project that addressed all provinces and the government was addressing it, she mentioned.

The Conference outcomes underlined that the fourth outcome was about women and girls who were the most affected due to climate change and look forward for specific measures to address specific strategy to address resilience building of women and girls.

It also demanded transformation of agriculture food system to enhance quality and nutrition of food, and improve tree cover that have huge potential to mitigate and transform climate change impacts.