PM Shehbaz highlights Pakistan's solar 'revolution by ordinary citizens' at COP31

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At COP31 in Antalya, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the country has added nearly 22 gigawatts of rooftop solar capacity in two years, describing the growth as a citizen-led shift toward affordable, cleaner power. He backed the global 35-by-35 electricity ambition and called for greater climate finance and international cooperation for developing countries.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday highlighted Pakistan’s solar power boom at the COP31 in Turkiye, where world leaders gathered to discuss joint solutions to combat climate change. This year’s summit focuses on transitioning toward a low-carbon future. Delegates from nearly 200 countries are meeting in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya as global greenhouse gas emissions show little sign of falling and wars, inflation and other crises compete for political attention. Addressing a high-level dialogue on clean energy transition, titled ‘35 by 35: Powering the Future’, PM Shehbaz said: “In my country, an extraordinary transition has already taken place. “In just two years, Pakistan has added nearly 22 gigawatts of rooftop solar capacity — a quiet revolution by ordinary citizens seeking affordable power and a cleaner, more predictable future.” “Pakistan fully supports the ambition of 35 by 35 and we are confident it can be met,” he affirmed, referring to a global pledge to aim to increase electricity’s share of total final energy consumption to around 35 per cent by 2035 in line with global climate objectives. He thanked Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country has the COP31 presidency, for convening the “important dialogue”. Earlier in the day, PM Shehbaz was received by Erdogan and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres upon his arrival at the venue, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said. The premier and other world leaders then gathered for a group photograph at the summit. In his speech at the Leaders’ Summit, PM Shehbaz will highlight Pakistan’s climate priorities and emphasise the urgent need for enhanced global climate action and strengthened international cooperation to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change, according to PMO. The Foreign Office (FO) said the prime minister will also highlight “Pakistan’s steps towards rapid solarisation and expansion of its renewable energy capacity, as part of its transition towards a cleaner and more resilient economy, along with its efforts to strengthen disaster preparedness and early-warning systems”. He will call for predictable, adequate and accessible climate finance for developing countries to strengthen their resilience and pursue sustainable development, it added. According to the PMO, a “Pakistan Pavilion” has been established at the COP31 venue where 54 events will be hosted on various themes. As the third day began, Guterres told world leaders at the summit that the slow international response to climate change so far had placed the world on a path to destruction. Governments must fight harder to preserve the planet for future generations, he said, in comments that set the tone for two days of rapid-fire speeches by world leaders at the UN conference on Turkiye’s Mediterranean coast. “The brutal truth is that the climate crisis is outrunning us. This is the path to mutually assured destruction,” Guterres said, pointing to rising emissions, global temperatures and worsening climate-driven disasters. “But science is not telling us to surrender. It is telling us to fight harder.” Negotiators from nearly 200 countries are seeking agreement on a plan to increase the share of electricity in global energy use and revive stalled efforts to move away from fossil fuels. Dozens of leaders were to speak during the “high-level segment” taking place on Wednesday and Thursday, including Erdogan, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, whose country hosted last year’s climate talks. “Nature — no less than people — is also paying a heavy price for armed conflicts. The starkest example of this is Gaza… what has taken place in Gaza is not only a genocide, but it is also an ecocide,” Erdogan said to applause. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, and Marshall Islands ​President Hilda Heine will also speak on Wednesday. The United States, the world’s largest historical emitter, has skipped the talks for the second year in a ‌row after ⁠President Donald Trump — who has called global warming a hoax — withdrew the US from climate cooperation following his return to office in 2025. PM meets Pezeshkian, interacts with world leaders On the sidelines of the summit, the prime minister held conversations with leaders of various countries and international bodies. The premier and his delegation also had a separate meeting with Iran’s Pezeshkian and his team. The meeting was to “discuss bilateral relations and the promotion of mutual cooperation between Pakistan and Iran”, as well as the regional situation and matters related to regional peace, PMO stated. PM Shehbaz’s informal meetings included those with Bangladesh’s PM Tarique Rehman, Palestinian PM Mohammad Mustafa, Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, Saudi State Minister for Foreign Affairs Adel bin Ahme