Proposed Punjab Climate Change Act 2026 would put smog, floods and heatwaves under one legal framework and fix departments’ accountability; a federal climate law passed in 2017 shows how much depends on enforcement.
LAHORE: Punjab plans to give its fight against smog, floods and heatwaves the force of law, with a Punjab Climate Change Act 2026 to be drafted with help from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the provincial government has announced.
Officials said the climate laws of 15 countries, including Britain and Switzerland, had been compared to bring international best practice into the draft. The bill will go to the provincial cabinet and then to the Punjab Assembly. No timeline was given.
The announcement came on a day when Lahore’s air quality index stood at 362 and passed 700 in Allama Iqbal Town, underlining why the province wants more than seasonal campaigns.
Punjab Climate law impact
According to the government, the act would create a comprehensive legal framework for climate threats including smog, air pollution, floods and heatwaves, and set out measures to protect agriculture, human life and the environment from climate impacts.
It would also legislate for renewable energy, tree planting and environmentally friendly development, and is meant to help Punjab secure international climate finance and investment for climate projects.
Perhaps most significantly, the law would spell out the climate responsibilities of government departments and how they will be held accountable, a gap that has long hampered environmental policy in Pakistan, where responsibility for smog alone is split among the environment, transport, agriculture, industry, local government and police departments.
Why a law, not just a policy
Punjab already has a climate policy. In July 2024, Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced a Punjab Climate Change Policy and Action Plan to define the roles of environmental stakeholders. Policies set direction, but they cannot compel departments, create penalties or guarantee budgets. A statute can.
The countries Punjab has studied show the range. Britain’s Climate Change Act of 2008 was the world’s first to set legally binding emissions targets, with five-yearly carbon budgets and an independent committee that reports to Parliament on progress. Switzerland’s climate law, approved by voters in a 2023 referendum, sets a 2050 net zero target in law and funds the switch away from fossil-fuel heating. Both put targets, deadlines and independent scrutiny into law.
Whether Punjab’s draft includes such elements, binding targets, an independent oversight body, penalties or a dedicated fund, has not been disclosed.
Climate cautionary precedent
Pakistan’s own experience with climate legislation shows that passing a law is the easy part. The federal Pakistan Climate Change Act was enacted in March 2017, providing for a Pakistan Climate Change Authority and a climate change fund. Seven years later neither had been set up, and in 2024 the Supreme Court ordered the federal government to establish the authority within a fortnight, saying the delay affected citizens’ fundamental rights, Dawn reported.
Climate change has been a provincial responsibility since the 18th Amendment in 2010, which gives Punjab the power to legislate. The province’s challenge will be making the law work across departments, districts and budgets.
Punjab on the front line
Punjab, home to more than half of Pakistan’s population and most of its farmland, faces climate risks in every season. This year’s monsoon killed at least 65 people in the province and exposed drainage failures across Lahore, while summer heat and autumn smog bring their own death and disease.
The government’s current smog response relies heavily on enforcement drives and campaigns, from fines on polluting vehicles and kilns to this week’s road-washing drive in Lahore, while experts have faulted it for missed chances at artificial rain. A climate law could put smog planning on a permanent footing rather than a seasonal one.
Ministers have also said the burden must be shared. Punjab’s climate fight cannot be left to the government alone, Sports Minister Faisal Khokhar said last month.
Pakistan wants international climate funding
The government says the act would help unlock international climate funding. Pakistan’s latest national climate plan, submitted to the UN in September 2025, says the country will need large external support to adapt and cut emissions. Funds such as the Green Climate Fund generally favour countries and provinces with clear legal frameworks, defined institutions and transparent monitoring, which a well-drafted act could provide.
UNDP has worked with Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments on climate adaptation projects, and its support for the drafting could help align the law with international standards.
The draft has not been published. Its value will depend on whether it sets measurable targets, gives an authority the power and money to enforce them, and lets the public see whether departments are meeting their duties.
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