RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United Kingdom have launched the UK-Pakistan Green Compact to strengthen climate resilience, accelerate clean energy transition and promote nature-based solutions, including mangrove conservation.

In a statement, Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordina-tion said on Sunday the agreement was signed in Islamabad by Minister for Climate Change Musadik Malik and UK Minister for International Development Jennifer Chapman.

The Compact unlocks £35 million (USD44 million) in targeted support for green development and long-term climate action.

Officials from both countries described the initiative as a move from policy dialogue to implementation, at a time when climate risks are intensifying across South Asia. Pakistan is considered among the most climate-vulnerable countries in the region.

The Compact is structured around five pillars: climate finance and investment, clean energy transition, nature-based solutions, innovation and youth empowerment, and adaptation and resilience.

Under the framework, the UK will work with Pakistan to mobilise public and private climate finance, strengthen regulatory frameworks for green investment and develop a pipeline of bankable climate projects, the ministry said.

It noted that global market trends have made renewable energy increasingly cost-competitive, with solar power now significantly cheaper than fossil fuels and wind energy also gaining an advantage, strengthening the economic case for accelerating Pakistan’s shift to renewables.

The partnership also places emphasis on restoring mangroves, which act as natural buffers against climate shocks, helping to strengthen coastal resilience while providing environmental and economic benefits.

Innovation and youth engagement will be prioritised through mentoring, technical assistance and access to investors for climate-smart startups and young innovators, aimed at expanding opportunities in the green economy.

Speaking during her first official visit to Pakistan, UK Minister Jennifer Chapman highlighted the shared urgency of climate action, saying its impacts were being felt worldwide.

“From melting glaciers to emptying rivers, the scale of the challenge here is striking,” she said at the launch event, warning that the cost of inaction would far exceed the investments needed now.