Country scores 58 on global policy scorecard

KARACHI: Pakistan scored 58 on the comprehensive global policy scorecard called Regulatory Indicators for Sustainable Energy (RISE), which brings the country to the category of middling performers, a statement said on Friday.

RISE, an initiative of World Bank Group (WBG), assesses countries’ policy and regulatory support for each of the three pillars of sustainable energy, including access to modern energy, energy efficiency, and renewable energy.   

RISE classifies countries into a green zone of strong performers, a yellow zone of middling performers, and a red zone of weak performers.

As far as energy access is concerned, RISE scores range from 84 in India to 03 in Somalia, with an average of 46. With only 14 countries having established a policy environment to put them in the green zone, the majority are a work in progress. Pakistan scoring 59 represents an opportunity for stakeholders, including donor partners.

The WBG report, issued on February 16, 2017, notes a majority of economies have designed electrification planning strategies, typically a first step to implementing their energy access vision, underpinned by joint efforts of national governments, utilities, and other stakeholders. However, Pakistan among other countries does not report having a draft plan.

According to the report, the potential for stand-alone system development in Pakistan is tremendous because 35 percent of the population is not connected to the grid, and grid-connected areas are struggling with power cuts and supply shortages.  RISE provides a reference point to help policymakers benchmark their sector policy and regulatory framework against those of regional and global peers.

It is a powerful tool to help develop policies and regulations that advance sustainable energy goals.

Pakistan scores a below average 38 on the energy efficiency scorecard, and it is unfortunate that performance on public sector policies is not better, as this is one area where governments can directly achieve energy savings while jump-starting markets for efficiency products and services.

The report underlines that many of the countries that will host the bulk of the world’s new construction are not prepared to ensure that their buildings will incorporate available measures for ensuring good energy performance.

In terms of renewable energy, Pakistan scores 77 on the scale of 07 to 94 due to strong legal and regulatory frameworks.  

The report also notes that electricity is quiet affordable in Pakistan, a country which offers lowest tariff in the world.