Green Criminology, Climate Change and Corporate Consequences in Pakistan:Need for Policy & Legislative Reforms

Abstract

This study explores the intersection of green criminology, climate change, and corporate accountability in Pakistan, highlighting the urgent need for policy and legislative reforms. As one of the most climate-vulnerable nations, Pakistan faces escalating environmental harms ranging from industrial pollution and resource depletion to catastrophic floods driven in large part by corporate practices and weak regulatory enforcement. The purpose of this research is to examine how green criminology can reframe these harms as not only regulatory violations but as crimes against ecosystems, communities, and future generations. The research design adopts a doctrinal and analytical approach, drawing upon statutory frameworks such as the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997, the National Climate Change Policy 2012, provincial environmental laws, and comparative international practices, complemented by case-based illustrations of corporate-driven environmental harm. Findings indicate that Pakistan’s current legal regime is fragmented, punitive measures are inadequate, and corporate liability remains weak. The study concludes that targeted reforms such as stricter liability provisions, mandatory climate risk disclosures, specialized environmental courts, and integration of environmental enforcement with financial regulation are essential to strengthen corporate accountability and align governance with climate resilience and ecological justice. This article applies a green criminology lens to Pakistan’s climate crisis and corporate behaviour, arguing that corporate-driven environmental harms are a major driver of ecological degradation and climate vulnerability in Pakistan. After mapping the legal and institutional framework (federal and provincial), reviewing empirical patterns of environmental harm and corporate practices including resource-extractive projects and pollution, and identifying enforcement gaps, the paper proposes targeted policy and legislative reforms to strengthen corporate accountability, close regulatory gaps, and align Pakistan’s legal regime with climate resilience and ecological justice goals.