HOW does this year`s budget measure against climate change? Can it be climate-proofed? What will be the direction of the journey and how can we proceed? Parliamentary oversight in nascent democracies like ours is fundamental to effective democratic governance. It provides mechanisms for legislative scrutiny of government actions, policies and budgets. A comparative analysis of parliamentary oversight systems in Pakistan and other democracies shows stark differences in institutional effectiveness, particularly concerning environmental and climate governance oversight.

Pakistan`s parliamentary committees have a crucial role in shaping the climate future of the nation one of the most vulnerable to, and least prepared for, climate change. Yet, gaps in parliamentary scrutiny persist even if Pakistan has adopted Climate Budget Tagging, classifying 35 per cent of non-tax revenue and 9.4pc of gross revenues as climate-relevant.

Despite being led by stalwarts, climate parliamentary committees face limitations. They lack timely access to the finance bill and are neither empowered nor sufficiently resourced, leading to cursory oversight that seldom challenges or proposes substantial increases in climate allocations.

This oversight is highlighted in IMF reports. In several ways, the IMF`s policy actions under its $7 billion Extended Finance Facility and $1.4bn Resilience and Sustainability Facility fill the void left by weak parliamentary oversight.

Unaddressed priorities: The 2025-26 budget proces, offered an opportunity to the National Assembly and Senate Standing Committees on Climate Change to define their oversight role.

Despite an 183pc increase in mitigation funding, committees failed to adequately scrutinise the finance bill or challenge steps such as the 18pc tax on solar panels. Significant cuts, including 66pc in pollution abatement and 82pc in agricultural research, were also overlooked.

There is no public record of substantial committee review or objection to key budget decisions, nor did committees adequately assess alignment with Pakistan`s updated NDCs or national priorities such as water and food security, or disaster risk reduction. For FY2025-26, climate initiatives make up about 7pc of the total budget and 8pc of the development budget. This is concerning, given our need for accelerated climate adaptation investment.One is not certain if the committees had an opportunity to further advance Pakistan`s climate agenda, including proposing enhanced allocations for ecosystem-based adaptation aligned with the National Adaptation Plan`s emphasis on otherwise celebrated nature-based solutions. Ironically, a new carbon levy was introduced to discourage fossil fuel use, but without tabling specific plans to fund or outlining their expected impact on communities. This approach of funding climate transition through fossil fuel consumption contradicts our long-term decarbonisation goals. Deeper scrutiny was also needed for climate finance revenue streams, supported by stronger committee proposals for diversifying green revenue mechanisms.

The budget allocated only Rs2.78bn for climate change under the PSDP, while $348bn is needed by 2030. Committees could have proposed higher allocations and innovative financing. But even more critically, the committees have not begun to scrutinise how PSDP allocation will be climateproofed during the fiscal year.

Insufficient integration: The parliamentary committees have not fully grasped how budget allocations connect with Pakistan`s overall climate policy frameworks. They missed important opportunities to engage with new financial tools like Climate Budget Tagging, Pakistan Green Taxonomy and the National Climate Finance Strategy. It was also an opportunity for parliamentary committees to provide oversight to ensure that public sector investments are effectively climate-proofed, particularly by monitoring the implementation of the Handbook on Climate Risk Screening for Policy Planning, designed to integrate climate resilience into all development projects, and approved by the cabinet. Limited involvement prevents climate considerations from being properly integrated across government spending.

Experts and international partners have urged parliament to propose better funding allocations and explore new financing options like leveraging private sector investments, municipal bonds, disaster risk financing, and climate trust funds.

Stronger parliamentary oversight is essential for accountability and improved climate finance management. The Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services is mandated to serve as a research secretariat for parliamentary committees.

These committees must show greater leadership in advancing adaptation finance strategies and robust mitigation policies. They should formallyadvocateforincreasedfunding across sectors like early warning systems, climate-resilient infrastructure, and water security. Opportunities exist to champion investments in renewable energy.

Empowering parliament: Pakistan`s latest budget process reveals an urgent need for enhanced parliamentary climate oversight and opportunities for institutional development through international cooperation. Limited committee engagement creates governance gaps, undermining climate action and democratic accountability. Empowered oversight is a democratic imperative and climate necessity. With support, climate committees can become effective agents of change.

Formal partnerships and knowledge sharing with leading global parliaments will enable Pakistan`s committees to adopt best practices in budget review, build institutional capacity, and enhance climate governance. Skeleton structures exist, but committees need to model their engagement with climate oversight on the UK`s parliamentary approach led by their Environmental Audit Committee that scrutinises government policies on climate change, emissions reduction and sustainability, ensuring accountability. The Climate Change Committee advises parliament on carbon budgets, monitors progress on net-zero emissions and assesses climate risks and adaptation efforts. Additionally, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Climate Change is a cross-party group of members of both Houses that promotes discussion and action on climate policy.

These bodies offer a model for Pakistan to strengthen its climate governance and parliamentary scrutiny.

Moving forward: To strengthen climate oversight, committees should first undertake procedural reforms: mandatory pre-budget hearings, stakeholder engagement and ongoing capacity building through global partnerships. Giving committees the authority to extend deliberation periods and empowering them to propose budget amendments would align our system with global best practices. Meanwhile, the climate committees can create dedicated research services and enhance coordination between them and the planning and development, and finance and revenue committees.

The writer is a climate change and sustainable development expert.