On the backburner? Meeting to review progress on implementation of National Climate Change Policy

Sources say no concrete steps taken on implementing climate change policy

ISLAMABAD: Climate Change Minister Mushahidullah Khan has convened a meeting of all wings of the ministry and relevant departments here on June 23 to review progress and status of the preparation for Paris Climate Change Conference (COP21) as well as implementation of the National Climate Change Policy (NCCP).

The minister has directed heads of all wings to ensure their presence in the meeting to review progress on the major decisions taken during the last two and half months.

On April 23, 2015, in a high-level meeting chaired by the federal minister for climate change, it was decided that the ministry would approach all provincial governments including those of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, to expedite implementation of the NCCP.

The NCCP contains 120 policy measures for climate change mitigation and adaptation including setting up a National Climate Change Commission to coordinate climate change activities and developing monitoring, reporting and verification systems to assess emissions and changes in land use.

It was also decided in the meeting that the provincial governments would establish climate change sections in their respective provincial planning and development departments for effective collaboration between provincial and federal governments on NCCP and the Framework for Implementation of Climate Change Policy (FICCP).

Sources at the ministry told The Express Tribune that so far no concrete steps had been taken for the implementation of the NCCP.

In another meeting on May 7, 2015, for preparation for the global climate summit, it was decided to make a strong climate-vulnerability case of Pakistan to present at the United Nations conference on global climate. However, informed sources said not much progress was made on that ground either.

Similarly, in another meeting on April 8, it was decided to hammer out a comprehensive plan for boosting area under trees in the country and its protection and conservation through community and private sectors’ involvement.

It was decided that the climate change ministry would lead massive tree-plantation campaign in all provinces to increase the area under forest cover from current five per cent of the total landmass of the country to at least 12 per cent within the next few years.

Sources said that no progress had been made on that front. It is all talk and expression of grand ambitions, they said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2015.