Islamabad, Dec 6: By promoting climate action and sustainable development through local leadership and international cooperation, the Rotary Club of Karachi Environment (RCK ENV), in collaboration with the Climate Hub Forum, led climate diplomacy and global south voices at COP29, the global climate summit held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
While the delegation led by CHF Chairperson and 2025–2026 RCK ENV President Erum Khan, RCK President Kafeel Hussain, and Vice President of RCK ENV and CHF Co-Founder Aamir Sadozai showcased creative solutions and established alliances to advance environmental sustainability globally, the RCK ENV partnership with the CHF established Pakistan as a major player in the fight against climate change.
In an exclusive interview with APP, Aamir Sadozai highlighted the organization’s accomplishments during the UN Climate Change moot in Baku. Prior to the COP29 moot, Sadozai explained, the RCK ENV and CHF formally established their partnership by embracing two flagship projects: Climate Change Education and Community Training, which provides teachers and communities with the knowledge they need to address climate challenges, and the One Million Trees Initiative, which focuses on mass tree plantings to combat urban heat and deforestation.
He stated that these initiatives were presented at COP 29 as examples of effective local action tackling global environmental issues. He stated that RCK ENV and CHF emphasized the need for support for vulnerable areas and pushed for fair climate finance as well as increased participation of developing countries in climate-related decision-making processes. He added, “We have engaged with prominent figures like UN Climate Change Champions Razan
Al Mubarak and Nigar Arpadarai, as well as leaders from Africa and urban planning experts.” The delegation co-led a session on Sustainable Tourism and Climate Change, promoting nature-based tourism as a tool for economic growth and environmental conservation.
In addition to Professor Dr. Phoebe Koundouri’s keynote address on creative finance methods for resilience-building, which marked a significant milestone for Pakistan’s climate policy, CHF was instrumental in revealing the country’s National Climate Finance Strategy, according to Aamir Sadozai.
According to him, the RCK ENV presented these concepts at high-level talks and highlighted green buildings and sustainable urban planning as essential answers for climate-conscious cities. He noted that the delegation established partnerships with African and UN institutions, concentrating on resilience and capacity-building initiatives in the Global South.
Erum Khan, the chairperson of RCK ENV, stated the delegation’s aim during a number of discussions, saying that in addition to promoting climate justice at COP29, the delegation also showed how grassroots efforts can propel global change.
Aamir Sadozai emphasized that the Global South need strong international assistance to address climate issues, and that poor countries faced a capability gap. Kafeel Hussain emphasized the need of urban sustainability, arguing that fighting climate change required resilient cities.
