‘New projects on the cards to generate 200,000 green jobs’

Islamabad: The climate change ministry is all set to launch fresh projects to generate 200,000 green jobs till the end of this year focusing on three segments of the society including youth, women and local communities.

An official informed that the local community would be involved to create green jobs through a programme about Lake Manchar in the Sindh province. “Similarly, another programme will also be initiated in Dera Ismael Khan where the local community will be provided with green jobs through nature-based solutions,” he said.

The further details revealed that the climate change ministry discussed the issue of green jobs with the higher authorities and set a target to generate green jobs with the help of the Green Stimulus Initiative.

The details showed that the ministry has also prepared a financial model for these green jobs that would be funded under Ecosystem Restoration Fund. The Ecosystem Restoration Fund involves Asian Development Bank, Debt4Nature Swap programme and Green Bonds to arrange funds required for green jobs in the country.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam has said “The number of green jobs will reach 200,000 at the end of this year and it will continue to increase in the coming years.”

“The world has learnt a lesson that we cannot fight with nature. It is a fight that we cannot win and it is a fight that we must not fight. Because when we fight with nature we cross certain thresholds due to which nature reacts in certain ways like climate change,” he said.

He said, “Now we have decided that we will find out nature-based solutions because it is generally believed that if we invest one dollar in nature it pays back nine dollars.” The government would make the local communities realise that nature is not an adversary but a partner especially in improving their socio-economic conditions, he said.