LHC forms commission to address climate change

The commission will oversee implementation of National Climate Change Policy


Our Correspondent September 16, 2015
The commission will oversee implementation of National Climate Change Policy. PHOTO: LHC.GOV.PK

LAHORE:


Justice Mansoor Ali Shah of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday formed a high-level commission to effectively implement the National Climate Change Policy (NCCP), 2012 and the Framework for Implementation of Climate Change Policy 2014-2030.


The court passed the order while hearing a petition seeking the implementation of the NCCP and the framework. The commission will have 20 members other than its chairman,Dr Pervaiz Hassan. It will include secretaries of Ministry of Climate Change, Ministry of Water and Power, Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning and Development.

After hearing the arguments of the petitioner and the representatives of various federal ministries,the court held that it was quite clear that no material exercise had been done on the ground to implement the policy or the framework. “In order to expedite the matter and to effectively implement the fundamental rights of the people of the Punjab, the Climate Change Commission is constituted,” the judge stated in his written order.

The commission has been given power under the Civil Procedure Code. The court stated that the commission would have the power to co-opt any person or expert at any stage. “The commission can seek assistance of the federal or provincial government, ministries or departments. The ministries are directed to render full assistance to the commission,” the order stated.

The court stated that the secretariat of the commission would be housed at the Ministry of Climate Change, Islamabad.“However, the venue of its meetings will be decided by the chairman. Secretarial expenses of the commission shall be borne by the Ministry of Climate Change,” the court stated. The order further stated that the commission might approach the court at any stage to seek appropriate orders for facilitation of its work. “The commission will file interim reports as and when directed by this court,” the court stated.

The judge directed the commission to hold its first meeting on October 1. The hearing was then adjourned for October 5.

Petitioner Asghar Leghari had stated that he had approached the court for enforcement of his fundamental rights. “An overwhelming majority of scientists, experts, and professional scientific organisations related to earth sciences agree that there is sufficient evident that climate change is real. No one can deny the devastating effects of the increase in frequency and intensity of climate extremes. Further, most of the experts agree that its major cause is human activity, including a complex interaction with the natural environment. Social and economic changes are increasing the heat and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This is increasing the global temperature and in turn causing climate change,” the petitioner stated.

He further said that the climate was a highly complex system comprising the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the land surface and the biosphere, and the interactions between them. “For Pakistan, climate change is no longer a distant threat.

We are already feeling and experiencing its impacts across the country and the region,” he said. He added that the country had experienced devastating floods during the last three years. “These changes come with far reaching consequences and real economic costs. In order to address the threat of climate change, the National Climate Change Policy 2012 and the Framework for Implementation of Climate Change Policy (2014-2030) was announced by the Ministry of Climate Change. However, no implementation on the ground has taken place,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17th, 2015.

COMMENTS (1)

faisal soofi | 8 years ago | Reply Hats off Justice Mansoor Ali Shah.....this order if honestly followed up will go a long way in improving our understanding of the ecosystem that we are part of and better management of the environment that we so passionately try to change/destruct.
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