Justice Mansoor calls for climate diplomacy to cope with challenges
Pakistan
He was addressing an international conference on climate change
ISLAMABAD (Zeeshan Yousafzai) - Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, the senior puisne judge of the Supreme Court, called for climate diplomacy keeping in view the challenges being faced by climate change in today’s world.
He was addressing an international conference on climate change named ‘Breathe Pakistan’.
“There is a need to enhance coordination between the countries which are most affected due to climate change,” Justice Mansoor Ali Shah said.
The senior jurist also presented a nine-point agenda during the conference, emphasizing adaptive jurisprudence to address climate change challenges. He underscored the need for an independent and competent judiciary to handle climate-related cases.
He urged Pakistan to develop local solutions rather than rely on external interventions.
Moreover, he emphasized climate accountability, stating that those responsible for environmental degradation must be held accountable.
Also Read: Justice Mansoor Ali Shah stresses urgent need for climate justice, financing
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah also proposed establishing an international climate court and forming specialized bodies like climate commission and smog commission to address environmental cases, given the overwhelming burden on existing courts.
Justice Shah further asserted that climate finance is a fundamental right of everyone.
He highlighted Pakistan’s $30 billion loss due to the 2022 floods, emphasizing that such financial compensation should be considered a legal and moral obligation.
Discussing Pakistan’s climate laws, he referred to the Climate Change Act 2017, which mandated the establishment of a climate change authority and a climate change fund—both of which remain incomplete.
He warned that climate change is exacerbating issues of food security, energy security, and health security, urging swift implementation of necessary reforms.
