For years, Punjab struggled with a worsening climate crisis, smog choking major cities, air quality falling to dangerous levels, waste piling up in urban centers, and environmental rules rarely enforced. Winters became synonymous with health emergencies, and mobility systems running on outdated fuel only added to the growing pollution load. Despite the scale of the crisis, the province lacked a coordinated, practical, and modern climate response that could deliver real impact on the ground.
This gap created a vacuum in Pakistan’s climate narrative. Even when the country participated in global climate events, Punjab’s challenges often went unaddressed because there were no strong, implementable examples to present. The world saw Pakistan mostly as a climate-victim nation rather than a region capable of driving its own solutions. This year, however, COP30 marked a turning point.
When Maryam Nawaz stepped into COP30, she presented a transformed climate agenda for Punjab ones built not on promises but on real-time, operational initiatives already reshaping the province’s environmental landscape. She began by addressing the critical urban smog problem, explaining how smog guns were deployed as emergency interventions to reduce particulate matter during peak pollution months. These guns are not symbolic; they provide immediate relief where millions suffer from hazardous air quality.
She then highlighted the introduction of electric buses, a major structural shift toward cleaner urban mobility. Unlike previous fragmented attempts, this system represents Punjab’s first serious move toward reducing transport emissions. It not only modernizes public transport but also positions Punjab alongside global cities shifting to green mobility, something that resonated strongly with climate experts at COP30.
Maryam Nawaz also emphasized the creation of the EPA Force, a dedicated environmental enforcement unit designed to ensure that industries, construction sites, and polluting sectors cannot operate unchecked. This was seen as a rational and necessary step because Punjab’s environmental policies previously had no strong implementation arm. With the EPA Force, Punjab now has an institutional backbone that can sustain long-term climate reform.
A major part of her representation was the Suthra Punjab campaign, introduced as more than a cleanliness drive, it is a structured system for waste management, urban hygiene, and citizen engagement. She explained how cleaner cities reduce disease, improve air quality, and create healthier living conditions, making environmental cleanliness a direct climate action rather than a cosmetic effort.
What made Punjab’s case stand out at COP30 was not just the list of initiatives but the logic behind them. Maryam Nawaz presented these actions as interconnected, Smog guns for immediate relief, Electric buses for long-term emission reduction, EPA Force for strict enforcement, and Suthra Punjab for sustainable urban cleanliness. Delegates appreciated how this model blends emergency response with structural transformation, something few developing regions manage to balance.
Her representation received strong acknowledgement from climate experts and partner organizations. They praised Punjab’s shift from passive climate vulnerability to proactive climate leadership. The initiatives were labelled realistic, scalable, and community-focused qualities the global climate community values deeply. Through her clear articulation, Maryam Nawaz positioned Punjab as a province taking the climate crisis seriously, using rational, practical solutions that garnered genuine respect on the world stage.
COP30 became the moment where Pakistan’s climate narrative changed. Punjab was no longer presented as a region struggling without direction it emerged as a province implementing measurable reforms under leadership that understands both urgency and responsibility. Maryam Nawaz’s participation ensured that Punjab’s voice once overshadowed, became a respected part of the global climate conversation.