Rally demands compensation for climate change impact.

LAHORE -- Cyclists and the general public joined climate campaigners to demand compensation for Pakistan for the climate change impact in the wake of the recent floods.

The demand was made during a cycle rally organised by the Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee (PKRC) in collaboration with the Asian People's Movement on Debt and Development to raise demands for the COP27 (United Nations Climate Change Conference) that started in Egypt on Sunday. The rally, Pedal for People and Planet, was held from Charing Cross to Lakshmi Chowk.

The participants called on the governments of rich and industrialised countries of the world to immediately deliver climate reparations for the developing countries, bearing the brunt of climate change.

This is the fourth Pedal for People and Planet event this year. The first was held on April 24 in nine countries, the second was held on June 5 in 11 countries and the third on Oct 2 in eight countries. The fourth event was held on Sunday in nine Asian countries, namely the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Nepal.

PKRC leader Farooq Tariq said inaction, deception and tactics employed by the governments of the Global North to avoid their climate finance obligations were serious travesties of justice and outright violations of human rights at this time of intensifying climate impacts.

'The lack of progress in climate pledges has put us on the pathway to climate catastrophe. We have very little time left to address climate change and save humanity and the planet,' Saima Zia of the PKRC said.

APMDD coordinator Lidy Nacpil, in a message read out to the participants, said, 'This year, millions of people all over the world have suffered grave impacts of climate change - homes have been damaged or swept away...