• Pakistan’s Road to COP31: SDPI, PREC to Convene Pre-COP31 Climate Dialogue in Islamabad

• SDPI and PREC will convene a Pre-COP31 Dialogue in Islamabad on October 1, focusing on climate diplomacy, NDC 3.0, climate finance and energy transition

ISLAMABAD — The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), in collaboration with the Pakistan Renewable Energy Coalition (PREC), will convene a Pre-COP31 Dialogue and Consultation on Pakistan’s Road to COP31 on October 1 in Islamabad, bringing together stakeholders to discuss the country’s climate priorities ahead of the UN climate conference in Türkiye.

The full-day consultation is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time and will provide a platform for discussion on Pakistan’s climate diplomacy, mitigation and adaptation priorities, climate finance, implementation of its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 3.0, and opportunities for stronger regional and international climate partnerships.

The dialogue comes at an important stage in the international climate calendar. COP31 is scheduled to take place in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20, 2026, with governments and stakeholders now intensifying consultations ahead of the summit. The UN climate process describes the period leading to Antalya as an opportunity for Parties and observers to build shared understanding and prepare the ground for negotiations and implementation.

For Pakistan, the discussions are particularly significant because climate diplomacy increasingly intersects with questions of development, energy security, economic resilience and access to international climate finance.

NDC 3.0 implementation in focus

A central component of the Islamabad consultation will be Pakistan’s NDC 3.0, the country’s latest climate commitment under the Paris Agreement.

Pakistan’s NDC 3.0 was submitted to the UNFCCC in September 2025. The document emphasizes the need for an integrated financing strategy involving domestic resources, international climate support and private-sector capital. It also identifies climate-oriented public investment and innovative financing instruments as important elements of implementation.

The wider NDC 3.0 process follows the first global stocktake under the Paris Agreement, which identified the need for stronger climate action, greater resilience and improved alignment of financial flows with climate objectives. The UNFCCC has described the new generation of NDCs as an important opportunity to strengthen national climate commitments and accelerate implementation.

Against this backdrop, the SDPI-PREC consultation is expected to provide space for participants to examine how Pakistan can translate its climate commitments into practical programmes, investment priorities and institutional action.

Climate finance and Pakistan’s priorities

Climate finance is expected to remain a major issue in Pakistan’s engagement with the international climate process.

Developing countries, including climate-vulnerable states, have continued to emphasize the importance of predictable and accessible financing for adaptation, resilience and low-carbon development. International discussions in recent weeks have also highlighted concerns over unequal access to climate finance and technology ahead of COP31.

Pakistan faces the dual challenge of reducing emissions while responding to significant climate-related risks. This makes the balance between mitigation and adaptation an important element of its climate diplomacy.

The Islamabad dialogue will therefore provide an opportunity for stakeholders to consider how national priorities can be aligned with international financing mechanisms and partnerships, while also strengthening domestic capacity to design, implement and monitor climate projects.

Renewable energy and energy transition

The involvement of the Pakistan Renewable Energy Coalition places the country’s energy transition among the key areas of discussion.

Renewable energy is increasingly linked not only with emissions reduction but also with energy security, economic competitiveness, investment and access to modern energy services. The transition toward cleaner energy sources therefore has implications extending beyond environmental policy into broader development planning.

Pakistan’s climate discussions are taking place alongside a wider international push to accelerate clean-energy deployment. The incoming COP31 presidency has identified clean energy, green industrialisation, climate-resilient cities and implementation of climate commitments among the themes surrounding the Antalya summit.

For Pakistan, the challenge will be to connect these international priorities with national circumstances, financing realities and development needs.

Strengthening regional climate partnerships

The consultation will also examine opportunities for stronger regional and international climate partnerships.

Climate impacts do not follow national borders, and cooperation on water resources, disaster risk reduction, renewable energy, technology, climate finance and adaptation can have particular significance for South Asian countries.

Regional cooperation could also support knowledge-sharing and capacity-building while helping countries develop common positions on issues of importance to developing and climate-vulnerable economies.

As Pakistan prepares for COP31, such consultations can help connect domestic stakeholders with the broader international negotiating process and identify areas where national priorities can be advanced through partnerships.

Road to Antalya

The Islamabad event will take place only weeks before COP31 in Antalya. The official UNFCCC process includes a separate Pre-COP31 ministerial and leaders’ meeting from October 5 to 8 in Fiji, Tuvalu and Australia, followed by the main COP31 conference in Türkiye in November.

The timing gives Pakistan’s national stakeholders an opportunity to consolidate policy priorities before the international negotiations enter their final phase.

The SDPI-PREC dialogue is consequently expected to serve as a consultation platform for exchanging views on Pakistan’s climate diplomacy, strengthening implementation of NDC 3.0, mobilizing climate finance, advancing renewable energy and adaptation priorities, and identifying opportunities for international cooperation.

The consultation will be held in Islamabad on October 1, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. PKT. Participants can also join the proceedings online through the Zoom link circulated by the organizers.

Event: Pre-COP31 Dialogue and Consultation — Pakistan’s Road to COP31
Date: October 1, 2026
Time: 9:30 a.m.–4:15 p.m. PKT
Location: Islamabad, Pakistan
Organizers: Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in collaboration with Pakistan Renewable Energy Coalition (PREC)
Focus: Climate diplomacy, mitigation, adaptation, climate finance, NDC 3.0 implementation, renewable energy and regional/international climate partnerships.

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