PM Kakar holds informal interactions with world leaders.

DUBAI/ISLAMABAD  -  World leaders have for the first time promised to tackle the huge responsibility that food and agriculture have in climate change.

More than 130 countries signed up to a declaration about food, on the second day of the UN climate summit COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Food contributes a third of the warming gases increasing global temperatures.

Leaders including King Charles told COP28 that time was running out to tackle climate change.

The Emirates Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action has been welcomed by many experts and charities who say it is long overdue.

Countries that have signed up represent 5.7bn people and 75% of all emissions from global food production and consumption, according to the COP28 host nation the UAE.

Nations should now include food emissions in their plans to tackle climate change - also called Nationally Determined Contributions.

The US, China, the EU and the UK - some of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases per capita from food - signed up. “The declaration sends a powerful signal to the nations of the world that we can only keep the 1.5 degree goal in sight if we act fast to shift the global food system in the direction of greater sustainability and resilience,” said Edward Davey, head of research group World Resources Institute UK.

Debates around food and climate often focus on whether people should eat less meat and dairy. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Friday joined the world leaders at the high-level segment of the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP 28) of the United Nations to discuss actions on climate change.

The prime minister was received by President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Secretary General of the United Nations António Guterres on his arrival at the venue, Dubai Expo City.

Besides attending the opening session of the World Climate Action Summit, PM Kakar is expected to meet the prime ministers of the Netherlands and Estonia, on the sidelines of the conference. The prime minister will also participate in the Zayed Sustainability Award ceremony. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Friday held informal interactions with different world leaders on the sidelines of the COP28 summit.

Among those whom the prime minister interacted with informally included British Prime Minister Rishi Sunik and Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredrickson. The prime minister also held an informal interaction with British King Charles III as they participated in the family photo of High Level Segment of 28th Conference of Parties.

At the Summit, the prime minister is accompanied by Caretaker Ministers including Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani, Finance Minister Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, Climate Change Minister Ahmed Irfan Aslam and Energy Minister Muhammad Ali.

Caretaker ministers including Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani, Finance Minister Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, Climate Change Minister Ahmed Irfan Aslam and Energy Minister Muhammad Ali are also participating in COP28.

PM KAKAR VISITS PAKISTAN PAVILION

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar visited the Pakistan Pavilion, established at the venue of United Nations’ 28th Conference of Parties. The Prime Minister was briefed on the efforts being made by Pakistan with regard to the negotiations and facilitation in operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund. He was also briefed on the ‘Living Indus Initiative’ which is designed to rehabilitate the health of the Indus Basin in Pakistan through climate-resilient approaches and nature-based solutions. The Prime Minister also met with the Pakistani climate experts at the Pavillion and appreciated their efforts with regard to climate change risk mitigation. Caretaker Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Climate Change and Pakistan Ambassador to the UAE also accompanied the Prime Minister.

PM invites Dutch firms to invest in Pakistan’s agriculture, energy sectors Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Friday met Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte wherein he invited the Dutch firms to invest in agriculture, horticulture, water management and renewable energy sectors of Pakistan.