Clean energy with minimal environmental impact stressed

Islamabad : Arshad Ali Chaudhary, Chief, Climate Change and Energy Section, Planning Commission, has said that we need to achieve the clean and green energy mix with negligible environmental impact and more economic dividends.

Mr Chaudhary was addressing here the inaugural session of second training workshop on “Evidence-based policies for the sustainable use of energy resources in the Asia-Pacific Region,” organised by Sustainable Development Policy Institute in collaboration with Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

The workshop was attended by the key officials and stakeholders from various public sector institutions including Alternate Energy Development Board, National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, CPEC Center, UET, Taxila and all provincial planning departments.

Mr Chaudhary observed that though electric power generation capacity over time has increased, yet around 20 per cent of the population is still not connected with the national grid. He said that Pakistan’s future largely linked to cleaner, cheaper and sustainable energy for all, which has direct implications for country’s economic future.

He said that ESCAP is helping in building the capacity of Planning Ministry enabling it to prepare policy and plans for greener, sustainable and affordable energy for all. He said that power generation alone is not an issue but power distribution, transmission and affordability with minimum theft and line losses, which are currently around 17 to 19 pc, are major challenges in the power sector. He said Pakistan has a lot of potential in solar, wind, hydro and bio-mass to meet future energy demand and the Ministry has already incorporated in its 12th Five-Year Plan which is at the final stage.

Michael Williamson, Chief of Energy Division, ESCAP said that his organisation through its capacity development project aimed at integrating advanced energy-based practices in energy planning, particularly in modeling capabilities and institutionalisation of these capacities, to understand the role of energy sector in addressing the challenge of Climate Change through the lens of Pakistan’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and to understand the power generation technologies through the life cycle analysis. He said we have to change our priorities towards energy mix to help achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-7), Clean and Affordable Energy for All.

Dr Vaqar Ahmed, Joint Executive Director, SDPI, said as part of the 12th Five-Year plan of Planning Commission, it was important for the country to put in place and follow an integrated energy plan, especially when the government is in the process of formulating a new power policy and Planning Departments of Federal and provincial governments are also in the process of finalising long-term growth strategies.

Dr Jiang Kejun, Director, Energy Research Institute. National Development and Reform Commission, China, during the training workshop explained energy modeling activities in the world, China’s energy transition and low carbon development and assessed modeling activities in Pakistan and need of energy modeling in Pakistan.