CVF-V20 and IRS Join Forces to Boost South-South Climate Cooperation

Islamabad, Pakistan | June 3, 2025—The CVF-V20 and the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) announced this month a strategic partnership aimed at accelerating Pakistan’s Climate Prosperity Plan and enhancing regional cooperation on sustainable development and climate resilience.

Following the announcement, a high-level forum titled “China’s Role in Advancing Green Development Across the Global South” gathered government leaders, diplomats, and climate finance experts to explore collaboration opportunities with China, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
 
Ambassador Jauhar Saleem, President of IRS, underscored the urgency of collective climate action, advocating integrated policies and clean technology investments to combat regional pollution and achieve sustainable development.

Sara Jane Ahmed, Managing Director of CVF-V20 and Finance Advisor to V20, highlighted green development as both an environmental necessity and economic opportunity for the Global South. “Deepening South-South cooperation can scale locally driven, financially sound, globally relevant solutions,” she stated.

Keynote speaker Zulfiqar Younas, Additional Secretary of Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change, noted Pakistan’s significant progress, adding over 13,000 MW of renewable energy capacity and advancing carbon market policies. He emphasized Pakistan’s strategic partnership with China for clean air technologies and disaster risk finance.

Political Counselor Wang Shengjie, from the Embassy of China, detailed China’s leadership in clean energy, highlighting substantial investments and commitments towards achieving carbon neutrality. He praised Pakistan’s proactive climate diplomacy and encouraged stronger bilateral collaboration.

Erik Solheim, Vice-President of BRI-International Green Development Coalition, commended China’s remarkable transformation into a global clean energy leader. He urged the Global South to leverage China’s expertise and resources for sustainable, people-centric growth.

In a panel discussion moderated by Hamza Haroon, CVF-V20’s Regional Director for South Asia, experts examined the progress and potential of Pakistan–China green cooperation. Dr. Khalid Waleed emphasized the need for inclusive solar solutions and clean hydrogen production. Mustafa Hyder Sayed highlighted the importance of focused green collaboration and targeted climate investment strategies with China. Red Constantino, Adviser to the CVF-V20 Secretary General, stressed the value of pragmatic South–South partnerships and the pivotal role China can play. Muhammad Faisal Sharif underscored the positive impact of China’s BRI investments in expanding Pakistan’s solar energy capacity.

In his closing statement, Haroon reaffirmed CVF-V20’s commitment to continued dialogue, stakeholder engagement, and concrete action to realize Pakistan’s and the region’s Climate Prosperity Plans in collaboration with IRS and other key partners.

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About CVF-V20

The CVF-V20 represents 74 member-countries from small island developing states (SIDS), least developed countries (LDCs), low-to-middle income countries (LMICs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), and fragile and conflict-affected states (FCS). Working together, the CVF-V20 aims to achieve climate justice through the realization of Climate Prosperity Plans, which contain ambitious economic and financial resilience strategies designed to attract investment and resources that advance the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 30×30 Global Biodiversity, and help keep the average global temperatures to the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C safety threshold.

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CVF-V20 Membership

Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Chad, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana (Troika), Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda

Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh (Troika), Bhutan, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Vietnam

Caribbean: Barbados (Chair/Troika), Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago

Latin America: Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay

Middle East: Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen

Pacific: Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu