cHiNa iNSPiReD gReeN eNeRgy PoLicy To booST cLeaN eNeRgy iN PaKiSTaN

ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

PAKISTAN-CHINAInstitute and Sustainable Development Policy Institute hosted a high-level conference on “The need to switch towards a greener future: Lessons from China”. The conference featured insightful speeches by parliamentarians, industry experts and representatives from think tanks. Senator Rukhsana Zuberi chaired the sessions, while Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed made the keynote speech.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed in his welcome remarks said that “green is the defining element of China’s development agenda” and President Xi Jinping in COP 2015 Paris committed to carbon neutrality by 2060 and China is now emerging as a leader in green development. Today China is leading the world as producer and investor in green technology and finance. He further informed that the shift to green technology has created additional 54 million ‘green jobs’ so far which shows the immense multifaceted potential of green development. He said that China is officially at par or has taken lead from USA in green technologies, AI, STEM, due to the commitment of China in innovation and technology.

Senator Eng. Rukhsana Zuberi stressed on conducting energy audits to identify wasteful practices and increase the energy efficiency. She informed that after the first energy audit of the building of Pakistan Energy Council, 35% reduction in energy consumption was achieved. She stressed the need for advocacy and engaging with common people to increase energy efficiency at the household level by highlighting the financial cost that can be saved by making small consumption changes.

Dr Abid Q. Suleri, the Executive

Director, SDPI, said that we must recall success stories from China in tackling environmental and climate issues. He said that China successfully reduced SMOG and particulate matter air pollution by 60% in a short span in Beijing. He further elucidated that China’s Great Green Wall in 2013-14, was another initiative, which effectively management of desertification. He said that China offers a leadership model from micro to meso-level in managing resources efficiently, and addressing the growing threats of environment and climate change which Pakistan must take inspiration from. He said that CPEC is not limited to trade or energy rather agriculture and food security are an essential component of green CPEC and use of nature for greening is visible in various CPEC initiatives including China’s assistance to Pakistan in the form of genetically engineered seeds and rice.

Dr Zhao Baige, Vice Chair of the 12th NPC Foreign Affairs Committee, Chair of

Advisory Committee of RDIinformed that China announced in 2016 its policy for carbon neutrality and has been committed to the achievement of the policy guidelines which is the reason behind China emerging as a global leader in renewables and emission reduction. She stressed that Pakistan has immense potential for green development by promoting renewable energy. She said that Chinese enterprises are interested in investing in green development projects in Pakistan and there is much that can be achieved with commitment, cooperation and right policies.

Dr Sajid Amin Javed, Deputy Executive Director, SDPI said that the green financing in Pakistan is still a residual policy and not a mainstream economic policy and stress first and foremost it must be made a main economic and financing policy. He said that climate change is a macro-economic risk and no longer an environmental risk which is evident from recent floods. He recommended that we need change of narrative and