KARACHI:Experts at an international climate conference, here on Wednesday, emphasized on the realization of Pakistan’s high vulnerability to the climate challenges and quick matching response jointly by the government organisations and private sector, which is very vibrant.
The Pakistan Climate Conference-2022 was organized by Overseas Investors’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry and hosted by Unilever Pakistan at its Headquarters. It brought together experts and corporate leaders, both local and global, to initiate a dialogue on this important subject.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam , by video link appreciated OICCI for successfully organizing the much demanded international conference on climate change, which brought together several corporations on one platform and help the government lead climate actions in Pakistan, and contributed to nationally determined commitments (NDCs) made at the COP-26 Summit. OICCI is the collective voice of top foreign investors in Pakistan.
He said Pakistan was crucial country and had been ranked No.5 amongst the countries most vulnerable to and heavily impacted by the climate change.
He said mix of energy was the solution and by 2023 Pakistan would ensure as 30 percent of its vehicles as electric-fed. And, as a part of its programme to make Pakistan carbon-free the government was working on hydro power generation.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government had already planted 10 billion trees in different areas of the country, mainly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and more forestation was in progress to cope with the emerging climate challenges.
Yesterday, two national parks were inaugurated —one in Koh-e-Suleman mountain range and other in Cholistan.
He unveiled that soon his ministry would start the country’s first national parks service. The Ministry of Climate Change had also hired experts who were working on Indus River-basin Initiative for the conservation of echo-system along the Indus.
There was need for maximum involvement of the private sector in combating the climate change risks and a private sector facilitation fund had been set up for this purpose.
He assured full support to every initiative meant to mitigate climate change risks.
Malik Amin Aslam also reiterated Pakistan’s international commitments on conservation of nature.
Advisor to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood , in his video speech, described climate change as the huge problem for Pakistan. The rising temperature had also caused increase in diseases.
South Asia might be the most affected area by the climate change, he added asserting that as a nation we must come up solutions.
He hoped that the conference would help bring the solutions. Climate change had a direct economic impact and this conference had laid the foundation for an action plan that would help Pakistan meet its global climate commitments and ensure the sustainability of its economy.
The conference was attended by a large number of experts– both physically and virtually – including government officials, senior industry leaders, climate change activists, academia, journalists and civil society members.