Pakistan remains victim of climate change

Global green business ideas competition opens

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is ranked seventh in the list of countries most affected by the climate change impact, said Minister of State Climate Change Zartaj Gul.

Pakistan remains victim of irregular rain pattern, floods and heatwaves, Gul said at Climate Launchpad, the world's leading green business ideas competition on Monday.

The completion was introduced in Pakistan for the first time to help aspiring entrepreneurs to grow their green ideas into global businesses.

The competition welcomed innovations in renewable energy, energy efficiency, food and agriculture, water, transportation, industrial technology or any other way to tackle climate change.

Gul in her opening remarks said the present government has started clean green initiative including billion-tree tsunami project to avoid the effects of climate change.

Gul said that the government has made Islamabad plastic-bag free city and the idea would be extended to other cities in stages.

She affirmed that ban on manufacture, sale and use of plastic shopping bags will come into force from August 14.

Gul said: "Addressing the negative impacts of climate change and supporting sustainable industrial development through innovation and invention is the need of hour."

She said a green and clean future demands thousands of innovative challenges, current business models and investing in ideas and entrepreneurs as it is the way to go about it.

Pakistan National Lead for Climate Launchpad and Stimulus Project Manager Hira Wajahat said: "We believe that Pakistan's vulnerability to climate change can only be resolved when we play an active role as climate-conscious citizens and take responsible action through active climate leadership."

"We have received 100 applications so far for the programme from across Pakistan addressing solutions to challenges in agriculture, healthcare, energy efficiency, water and waste management,” she said.

Stimulus is the strategic partner for Climate Launchpad in Pakistan, Stimulus is a Pakistani consulting firm, focused on supporting emerging economies towards renewable energy access.

Bringing this competition to Pakistan is aligned with their mandate to develop innovative products and services, started new companies, and trained a new generation of entrepreneurs. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2019.