ABSTRACT
The good news that Pakistan recognizes is the links between energy and climate change. It is mired in an acute energy crisis, and at the same time it is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. There is reason to fear that in its zeal to tackle the energy crisis, Pakistan could worsen its climate vulnerability. The potential consequences of failing to take sufficient action to mitigate climate change effects have been well chronicled. Perhaps the most striking illustration of the seriousness with which Pakistan regards climate change comes not from the government, but from the courts – and specifically the High Court of Lahore, the capital of Pakistan's most populous province of Punjab. When a state can assume that it will get bailed out by external support, then it has fewer incentives to take ownership of policy challenges and hunker down to address them.
