Promoting e-vehicles vital to drive sustainable transport future

Islamabad:The present government has stepped up policy-level efforts to promote electric vehicles in the country, as it offers a wide array of benefits across environmental, economic, public health and industrial development sectors.

This was stated by Muhammad Saleem Shaikh, media spokesperson for the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination on Sunday in context of the federal government’s New Electric Vehicle Policy (NEVP) launched that primarily aims to ensure a just and inclusive transition to cleaner mobility, reduce dependency on fossil fuels, stimulate local innovation and create new green jobs.

“The Government of Pakistan is stepping up efforts to promote the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) as a key part of the country’s clean energy and climate resilience agenda. With the transport sector being a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and urban air pollution, the shift towards EVs marks a significant move towards a sustainable, healthier, and economically viable future,” the senior climate change ministry official Muhammad Saleem remarked.

He said further that the Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Ministry has already reaffirmed its commitment at various forums to promoting electric vehicles (EVs) in the country as a strategic priority in the country’s transition toward a low-carbon, climate-resilient future for as a part of global efforts to cut heat-trapping and climate-altering vehicular carbon emissions and achieve environmental and urban sustainability.

The senior Ministry official Muhammad Saleem Shaikh said, “Recognising the transport sector as among the key contributors to air pollution and climate change-causing greenhouse gas emissions, the Ministry would now actively support every possible efforts for implementation of the New Electric Vehicle Policy 2025–2030 to drive the country toward a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable mobility system.

Director General of the Ministry, Mohammad Asif Sahibzada pointed out that Ministry of Industries and Production, Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MoCC&EC), and other key industrial and non-industrial stakeholders are working in close collaboration to implement the New Electric Vehicle Policy 2025–2030.

He said further that the policy would go a long way in bring more and more e-vehicle on the country’s roads as it envisions 30 percent of all new vehicles sold by 2030 to be electric — including two-wheelers, three-wheelers, buses, and cars.

“This transition is not only vital for addressing adverse impacts transport sector-related carbon emissions that contribute to climate change but also crucial for ensuring a clean, efficient and inclusive transport future for all Pakistanis,” Asif Sahibzada.

Talking about the environmental and public health benefits, the ministry’s director general Asif Sahibzada highlighted that EVs emit zero tailpipe pollutants, significantly reducing urban smog and climate-warming emissions. This shift supports the country’s commitments under the Paris Agreement and its national climate change targets, he added.

“Cleaner air means fewer respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. With fewer emissions on the road, citizens—especially children and the elderly—will benefit from improved health outcomes and reduced healthcare costs,” the ministry’s director general remarked.

He said further that electric vehicles undoubtedly offer long-term savings due to lower fuel and maintenance costs. They reduce Pakistan’s dependency on imported fossil fuels, helping stabilize the economy and protect against global energy price shocks.

The Ministry’s Director for Urban Affairs and Urban Air Pollution Experts, Muhammad Azeem Khoso said that cleaner air means fewer respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. With fewer emissions on the road, citizens, especially children and the elderly, will benefit from improved health outcomes and reduced healthcare costs, Khoso remarked.

The director urban affairs of the ministry suggested, “By integrating EVs with renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, could one step further toward greater energy independence and a more resilient energy mix.”

He said further that local EV manufacturing, battery production and charging infrastructure development would open doors for innovation, entrepreneurship and green job creation across the green economy of the country.

"Electric vehicles are not just about cleaner transport; they are a cornerstone of our climate action strategy. Through this transition, we aim to protect public health, cut emissions, and create green jobs. The future of Pakistan’s mobility is electric, and we are fully committed to driving that change," director Urban Affairs Muhammad Azeem emphasised.