CGPI: the breakdown

Even though the assuring commitments of a clean and green Pakistan seem fruitful, shortcomings need to be addressed

The PM’s call for mass support in the fight against climate change during the “Clean Green Pakistan Index” ceremony was commendable. It not only shows the government is aware of the scale of the environmental crisis but it also places the moral burden on all individuals across all strata of society — leaders, students, labourers and villagers alike. Every individual needs to think of themselves as active agents in the fight against climate change by shaping their daily lives accordingly. Thus a collective action also becomes an individual responsibility. Even though the assuring commitments of a clean and green Pakistan seem fruitful, some shortcomings need to be addressed. The first phase calls for competition amongst different cities on various indexes. Competition has not fared us well in the past as we quite easily tend to fall into political squabble and lose sight of the necessary goal. One needs to be careful before pulling a Bilawal while publicly addressing such a momentous issue. We can only hope the competing cities and governing bodies do not, in the future, try and politicise the initiative.

Even though the PM was right on the money by mentioning Lahore’s eroded green belt and a need to preserve nature, nothing was said about the existing causes of pollution. Perhaps the government needs a peak at Germany’s carbon pricing plan that fines energy-intensive industries for producing excessive carbon emissions. Such plans can progressively regulate emissions while generating funds that may benefit the economy. The crux of the situation is that even though Pakistan contributes only 1% of the global greenhouse gases, more than 200 million of its people are affected. Time is of the essence as according to the World Wildlife Fund the temperature increase is one the fastest in Pakistan. This makes it clear that the initiative, after empowering locals, need to move to a global stance as soon as possible. Even though the CGPI initiative seems to be a step in the right direction, it is evident that there is still much lacking in understanding the problem holistically. 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 1^st, 2019.

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