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Powerless or Pivotal? Parliament’s Climate Role in Pakistan’s Budget 2025-26

Explore how Parliament’s climate role failed to fully engage with Pakistan’s 2025-26 budget. Learn what reforms and global models could fix the climate governance gap.

Parliament’s Climate Role is under increasing scrutiny as Pakistan navigates the climate emergency amidst economic stress. While Pakistan remains one of the most climate-vulnerable nations globally, its legislative oversight mechanisms have failed to keep pace with the scale of environmental challenges.

The 2025-26 budget offers a critical lens to assess how climate change is being treated within governance systems. Is parliament truly steering the climate agenda? Or is its role being bypassed by executive and international actors?


Climate Budgeting: An Untapped Opportunity

Pakistan has made strides with tools like Climate Budget Tagging (CBT) and the Pakistan Green Taxonomy, allowing better tracking of climate-related expenditures. According to official figures, 35% of non-tax revenue and 9.4% of gross revenue is tagged as climate-relevant.

Yet, climate parliamentary committees have limited power in scrutinizing or redirecting these allocations. Despite CBT being in place, there is no evidence of structured engagement by parliamentary committees to ensure budget alignment with climate policy goals like Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) or the National Climate Finance Strategy.

This reflects a significant disconnect between technical climate budgeting tools and political will.


Oversight Gaps: Missed Opportunities in Budget 2025-26

Pakistan’s Senate and National Assembly Standing Committees on Climate Change had an opportunity to interrogate and influence climate allocations. However, their role was largely symbolic.

Missed Oversights Include:

  • An 183% increase in mitigation funding was not accompanied by any in-depth parliamentary debate.
  • An 18% sales tax on solar panels went unchallenged, despite contradicting national solar adoption goals.
  • Major cuts like 66% in pollution abatement and 82% in agricultural research passed without objection.
  • Carbon levy policies introduced without transparent use plans or community impact assessments.

The absence of oversight is so pronounced that IMF frameworks, like the $1.4bn Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), are stepping into the governance void.

Internal Link: Read how IMF policies impact Pakistan’s climate priorities


Pakistan’s Climate Budget: The Numbers and Neglect

Despite lofty climate pledges, only Rs2.78 billion was allocated for climate change under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) — a minuscule amount compared to the estimated $348 billion needed by 2030.

More troubling is the lack of discussion on climate-proofing these allocations during the fiscal year. Key tools such as the Handbook on Climate Risk Screening, designed to guide development projects toward climate resilience, are largely unmonitored by parliament.

Moreover, climate funds remain heavily dependent on fossil fuel consumption, revealing a paradoxical strategy of financing green transitions via brown economies.

External Link: Pakistan’s Updated NDCs – UNFCCC


Lessons from Global Models of Climate Oversight

To revamp Parliament’s climate role, Pakistan can learn from parliaments that have embedded climate accountability into their institutional DNA.

UK Parliament’s Model:

  • Environmental Audit Committee evaluates the environmental impact of every government policy.
  • All-Party Parliamentary Group on Climate Change ensures cross-party focus on climate progress.
  • Carbon Budgets are debated with transparency and set targets for every sector.

Similarly, New Zealand’s Climate Commission advises both parliament and the executive with binding carbon reduction pathways, while Germany’s Bundestag has specialized environment sub-committees with amendment powers over federal budgets.

Internal Link: See how international models can inspire Pakistan’s climate governance


Moving Forward: Recommendations for Reform

To ensure Parliament is no longer sidelined, the following structural and procedural reforms are critical:

Institutional Empowerment:

  • Grant amendment powers to climate committees during budget cycles.
  • Mandate pre-budget hearings focused solely on climate adaptation and mitigation.
  • Establish dedicated climate research wings within Parliament.

International Cooperation:

  • Forge formal partnerships with climate-strong parliaments.
  • Invite capacity-building support from UNDP, GIZ, and World Bank climate governance programs.

Inter-Committee Coordination:

  • Enhance collaboration between climate, finance, planning, and infrastructure committees.
  • Introduce joint deliberation mechanisms for cross-sector climate budgeting.

Financing Innovation:

  • Advocate for climate trust funds, green bonds, and disaster insurance frameworks.
  • Engage private sector through municipal climate financing and impact investment platforms.

Conclusion: Why Empowering Parliament is Crucial

Parliament’s climate role is not just a democratic necessity — it’s a lifeline for national survival. Without robust oversight, Pakistan’s climate financing will remain fragmented, inefficient, and vulnerable to elite capture or donor dependence.

To shift from climate rhetoric to climate action, parliamentary committees must:

  • Lead with urgency and expertise,
  • Align budgets with NDC goals and adaptation plans, and
  • Become institutional watchdogs for green governance.

The 2025-26 budget was a missed opportunity. The 2026-27 cycle must not be.

VOW Desk

The Voice of Water: news media dedicated for water conservation.
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