Away from fossils

Pakistan's energy consumption mosaic is fossil fuels driven, and is becoming a challenge to cope with. Efforts to lessen the dependence on non-renewable energy sources are flagged with structural obstacles and industrial lacunas, ultimately leading to environmental concerns and soaring debts. That is why a grand coalition of stakeholders has stressed the need for reforms to reduce reliance on fossil fuels by improving competitiveness and accelerating growth by effectively responding to climate change challenges. It is rightly pointed out – at a seminar organised in Islamabad by Alternate Development Services – that the future financing canvas should ally with national priorities by swiftly moving towards solarisation of production units, especially the export-potential textile sector, along with a policy-construed path to shun debt burden, accordingly.

A study, presented on the occasion, mapped 82 textile units with a combined installed solar capacity of 237 megawatts, and came up with convincing data analysis that is cost-beneficial. It also projected annual greenhouse gas emission reductions of 1.6 to 1.76 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide, and highlighted implications for compliance with the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The discussions were on the mark on regulatory barriers to solar adoption under the Competitive Trading Bilateral Contract Market, including high use-of-system charges and legacy power purchase agreements.

The dire need, as cited by experts, is to plough Pakistan away from fossils and help it walk the high technologised path of renewables. The country's reliance on oil, gas and coal, as well as on LNG, is untenable in the long run, as demand rises owing to supra-surge in population, inflating import bills and depleting local resources. It is leading to major economic strain, energy insecurity and unpredictable pollution, as well as severe health concerns. That is so because fossil fuels provide around 59 to 64% of total energy supply and a similar share of electricity.

This dependency must take a reverse gear to avoid unseen vulnerabilities. Investment in industry and upgrading of consumption technologies are a must. The minimum to start with is to aggressively expand solar, wind and hydro power generation systems, overhaul the grid infrastructure and cut down on pilferage and corruption. Opting for electric vehicles and smarty cooking kitchen appliances will lead to drastic cuts in carbon emissions – and that is the way to go.