Green Covid recovery

From the advancement of communication technologies in World War I to the pioneering Turing Machine in World War II, global challenges have historically paved the way for technological disruptions. This raises the question: what emerging technological disruptions are to come as a result of the reigning pandemic? Is Covid-19 going to only be known for strengthening the PPE supply chains or has this pandemic been a missed opportunity to solve the biggest issue facing humanity today i.e. climate change?

The term ‘Green Covid Recovery’ has been circulating in our political ecosystem, combining climate action with public health policies in what seems like a technocratic marvel. Yet, no such progressive climate change policy has come to fruition. Following the global trend, Pakistan has also failed to capitalise on the opportunity to combat the pandemic through a green recovery framework. Such hopes falter even further upon closer examination of the monitoring and reporting channels. For instance, the ill-timed announcement of the 20% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by the Special Assistant to the PM came off the back of an announcement of a 9% decrease three days prior. This inconsistency in reporting leaves much to be desired. It is hard to examine the efficacy of a strategy when thorough monitoring and reporting is not made available to the public.

Pakistan is currently the 8^th most vulnerable country to climate change, with billions of dollars already lost due the extreme weather events over the years and an agricultural economy that is suffering due to the lack of adequate water supply. A UN report shows the availability of water has gone from 2,172 cubic metres per capita in 1990 to 1,306 cubic metres in 2015. Furthermore, despite emitting a negligible amount of GHGs as compared to the rest of the world, Pakistan is currently ranks second worst on the air quality index with average pollution that is 11.8 times higher than what is recommended by the WHO. The interconnectivity of climate change and the economy, healthcare, gender, etc are specifically highlighted by the UN SDGs, but policies enacted by the incumbent government do not reflect these relationships.

Pakistan needs to invest in climate change infrastructure to not only ensure that the there is an economic safeguard in place in the face of extreme weather events but also to reduce the inequalities faced by the people.

Pakistan is falling behind on progressive policies. During a recent Senate session, PTI’s MNA Ali Muhammad Khan claimed that the retention rate of trees in the Billion Tree Tsunami project was between 75-90%. Firstly, why is the efficiency of a project that constitutes for 98% of the climate change budget being given such a large range and what is the methodical approach in monitoring retention? Secondly, what is the sunk cost associated with this retention rate? The fundamental rule of risk management is hedging investments, but this afforestation project has seen the lion’s share with no diversification.

Across the country, job creation should have been a vital part of Green Covid Recovery discourse, where unemployment for 2021 has reached a dismal 16%. However, there still lies a window of opportunity to invest in a green economy. The budget for climate change needs to allocate funds towards green projects to ensure a return on their investment, including companies with innovative sustainable practices and incentivise CSR policies. Instead of being left behind from the rest of the world, expansion of infrastructure and development of sustainable green technologies that harness renewable energy needs to be considered to free us from the shackles of fossil fuels. Not only is Pakistan far from the path of a green Covid recovery, but there are also clear signs that climate change policies require a serious overhaul.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2021.

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