CLIMATE CHANGE

(1)INTRODUCTION

In his speech in December 2021 at the UN hosted Climate Ambition Summit, he declared that Pakistan will generate 60pc of its energy from
renewable sources, ensure that 30pc of new vehicles will be electric vehicles and that Pakistan will no longer pursue coal power plants.
According to the UN Intergovernmental Penal on Climate Change, if we kept the emission of carbon dioxide at this rate then the mean
temperature would reach 3 Celsius. Recently, the World Meteorological Organization released its 2020 annual climate report, according to
which the mean global temperature is set to be about 1.2 °C above pre-industrial levels. Pakistan contributes less than 1Per to the emission of
the global GHG.

(2)CAUSES

(2.1) Deforestration

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on August 14, 2020 with only 5.7pc of land, or around 4.54 million hectares under forest
cover, the country’s deforestation rate is the second highest in Asia, after Afghanistan and is well below the recommended
cover of 25pc.

(3)EFFECTS

(3.1) Air pollution

According to rankings compiled by IQAir, Pakistan was the world’s second most polluted country in the world for both 2018 as well
as 2019, behind Bangladesh, with air quality characterised as “unhealthy” as measured by levels of PM2.5 (fine particulate matter that have a
diameter less than 2.5 micrometres). Exposure to high levels of air pollution can cause a variety of adverse health outcomes. According to the
WHO: “It increases the risk of respiratory infections, heart disease and lung cancer.” The WHO estimates that ambient air pollution accounts
for an estimated 4.2 million deaths per year worldwide.

(3.2)Climate change will trigger conflicts:

(4)SOLUTIONS

 Rich countries must help poor countries in transitioning from non-renewable to renewable energy sources
 Countries must set up a climate ministry
 If there is anti-money laundering and anti-terror-financing regimes then why not any regime which could monitor carbon
emission.
 Transitioning from non-renewable energy sources to renewable energy sources.
The argument for decarbonisation is driven by the learning that higher economic growth rate can be achieved without
proportionately increasing carbon emissions. In fact, the opposite has been witnessed in several countries: reducing carbon
emissions accelerates economic growth, attracts private sector investments, promotes startups and entrepreneurs, and creates
new jobs, particularly in the small and medium enterprises. The number of jobs created by renewable energy in China and India is
mind-boggling and there is no reason to think that it cannot create green jobs in Pakistan as well. Post Covid-19 stimulus packages
around the world are being designed to make recovery climate-smart and inclusive in order to ensure just transition.

Clean-air legislation, tighter regulation and greater enforcement with regard to emission standards and safeguards;

— Introduction of cleaner fuels in transportation and power generation;

— Adoption of carbon sequestration and offsetting measures, such as KP’s billion-tree tsunami initiative or the Punjab afforestation
programme;

— Provision of subsidy and/or grants for adoption of cleaner fuels and newer technology;

— A congestion tax;
— Emissions Trading Systems (or ‘cap-and-trade’ systems). These are specific to carbon emissions;

— A ‘carbon’ tax levied on motor fuels, vehicle purchase and/or ownership, tailpipe emissions, and on polluter industries;

— Mandating targets for the sale of electric and hybrid vehicles.

(5)Conclusion