Climate change taking toll on Pakistan, minister says

ISLAMABAD: The country is confronting many climate change challenges in the form of glacier melting, flooding, desertification, sea intrusion, etc, a statement issued here said on Wednesday.

“Pakistan is taking many initiatives --on policy level-- to mitigate and adapt to climate change effects, while we formulated our National Climate Change policy in 2012, which was followed by the Climate Change Framework in 2013,” Federal Minister for Climate Change Zahid Hamid told Canadian High Commissioner Mr. Perry Calderwood and Ms. Julia Bentley, Acting Director General for South Asia at his office. 

“Pakistan ranks 135th among carbon-emitting countries and is moving up on the list of countries most affected by climate change,” the minister told the Canadian delegation. He also informed the delegates about the Climate Change Act that recently passed the national assembly of the country. 

“Under this act, a climate change council, to be headed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, will be established. This council will approve related projects keeping international standards in view,” Hamid said.

 The minister added the environment t is a provincial subject so all these initiatives have been taken by the consultation of provinces.  Speaking on the occasion, the diplomats told the minister that many private Canadian companies are interested in investing in solar energy sector of Pakistan. 

Hamid also pointed out that many Chinese and Turkish companies are already working in the energy sector of Pakistan. “Pakistan has set up world’s biggest solar energy park of 1000 MW,” the minister added.