Islamabad: Senator Sherry Rehman, Chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change, delivered a stark warning at the 2nd Dawn's Breathe Climate conference, emphasizing that the global climate movement is in decline due to delegitimization and defunding. She highlighted the urgent need for collective responses to the climate crisis, which she claims is being overshadowed by global conflicts.

According to Pakistan Peoples Party, Senator Rehman criticized the lack of attention to the carbon footprint of wars, stating, "It is frankly a spectacular failure of global climate politics that the carbon footprint of wars is not even counted in the very carbon budgets used to chart our climate goals." She argued that this oversight undermines efforts to address climate change effectively. Rehman also pointed out the disparity between elite platforms and indigenous front-line communities, noting that most conflict-related carbon data is missing.

Senator Rehman questioned the exclusion of conflict costs from global carbon calculations, labeling it a significant oversight in modern governance. She cited figures indicating that global military emissions are a substantial contributor to overall emissions. Rehman highlighted the environmental toll of conflicts, asserting, "Modern wars are devouring our environment. They directly reshape our environment, our air, our coastlines, our water security, and our public health."

Discussing climate finance, Rehman criticized the current system, which she believes exacerbates debt issues for vulnerable nations like Pakistan. She stated that a significant portion of climate finance arrives as loans rather than grants, deepening debt traps. Rehman called for a financial reset that acknowledges the climate emergency as an existential threat.

In her speech, Rehman also addressed Pakistan's internal environmental challenges, urging against urban expansion at the expense of natural spaces and underscoring the importance of maintaining green cities. She concluded with a call for multilateral action, emphasizing that collective efforts are essential to averting climate collapse.