Pakistan has no option but to fight climate change: Aslam

PM’s advisor says country has a five-point agenda for climate change mitigation

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam on Tuesday said the country has no option but to fight climate change through effective mitigation and adaptation measures to save future generations from its dire consequences.

Speaking at a “Media Debriefing on Twenty-fifth United Nation’s Conference of the Parties (COP 25) on Climate Change”, organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Aslam said that Pakistan has a five-point agenda for climate change mitigation including planting 10 billion trees, transforming transport into electric vehicle, 30 percent clean energy transformation target by 2030, materialising nature-based solutions, making Pakistan plastic-bag free and recharge programme to tackle floods.

The PM’s adviser said that with a progressive vision on climate change mitigation and adaptation, Pakistan successfully launched its Ecosystem Restoration Fund (ESRF) at the side event of COP 25 along with development partners.

He said that the launch of ESRF coupled with re-election as vice president for the next COP26 along with six key committees including adaptation and Paris compliance committee were key outcomes for the country at the COP25.

“The country’s efforts and contribution to combat climate change such as billion tree tsunami, growing Mangroves forest cover, Clean and Green Pakistan programme, Pakistan's recharge programme and ESRF got global recognition and appreciation at the conference”, he added.

Aslam said that youth leadership has become the key stakeholders of climate negotiations.

He further said that COP25 could not conclude on any agreement or achievement at the global level mainly due to the disagreement on the carbon trading market between developed and developing countries. Pakistan would likely join the Blue Carbon Mangrove Alliance of 21 countries, he added.

Clarifying the recent German Watch Ranking where Pakistan ranked 5th most vulnerable country to the impacts of climate change, the PM’s advisor said that the ranking was based on the average of the last 20 years of climate impacts, where many countries were automatically excluded from the ranking and it does not mean that the government did nothing to combat climate change.

Heatwaves would be a challenge for the country in the future, where livelihood in many areas would become difficult, he added.

The SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri said that the mega talks on the climate change remained inconclusive due to lack of resolve of the international community. However, Pakistan proved its resolve to remain committed to climate agenda.

The SDPI Chairperson Board of Governors Shafqat KakaKhel said that the COP provided an immense opportunity for the government and institutions to have a partnership with the global leadership and institutions.

He said that the government's announcement of a renewable policy to set the target of renewable energy share of 60 percent by 2030 was a big step forward towards mitigation of climate change.

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