National alliance formed to fight climate change

ISLAMABAD: An alliance of civil society organisations, academia, business and industry and other stakeholders has been formed by the name of ‘Pakistan Panel on Climate Change’ with a view to provide science-based technical support to public and private sector organisations to address the present and future requirements of climate change-related development agenda in the country, a statement said on Thursday.

The development, which was led by Sustainable Development Centre (SDC), took place following the first stakeholders’ consultative workshop ‘Establishing Panel on Climate Change in Pakistan’ hosted by Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Islamabad.

Other than SDC and IPS, the founding partners of the coalition include Friedrich Naumann Stiftung für die Freiheit, IWATCH, Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO), National Democratic Foundation, Sustainable Tourism Foundation Pakistan, Pak Women, Health and Rural Development Services Foundation, Sustainable Development Foundation and Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies.

The initiative is also being supported by SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI), Engro Foundation, Government College University Faisalabad, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Institute of Geographical Information Systems (IGIS), National University of Science & Technology (NUST), Punjab Forestry Research Institute, Faisalabad, and  Inter University Consortium for the Promotion of Social Sciences Arts and Humanities (IUCPSS).

The participants of the consultative meeting representing the various organizations mentioned above were unanimous that climate governance needed science based knowledge support from civil society organizations and academia in the matters relating to policy, planning, strategies and programs of social, economic and environmental sectors, especially concerning water, food and energy security.