BEIJING – Advisor to Prime Minister on Climate Change Amin Aslam Fridaysaid Pakistan and China would sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) tomake the port city of Gwadar, a starting point of China Pakistan EconomicCorridor (CPEC), into Pakistan’s first emission neutral and clean greencity.
“China remains a valued partner in this movement and our Ministry ofClimate Change is signing an MoU with China Overseas Ports Holdings CompanyLimited under Clean Green Pakistan Movement to make Gwadar clean greencity,” he said while addressing at the Second Belt and Road Forum here.
He said Pakistan is willing to develop a different pathway and become an“enabler” of a new transition “Green” economy based on the shared vision of“Clean Green Pakistan” and China’s “Eco-Civilization”.
The advisor said the cooperation between Pakistan and China in the field ofenvironment and climate change, which not only enabled to realize the primeminister’s vision of a “Clean and Green” Pakistan but also positioned it tointegrate the concept of eco-civilization within the CPEC.
“This cooperation can be a pilot case for the greening of the whole Beltand Road Initiative,” he added.
Pakistan, he said, is one of the most important partners of the Belt andRoad Initiative (BRI), and the CPEC being a flagship of the BRIstrengthening the two countries’ longstanding strategic and socioeconomicpartnership.
He informed that starting from the small province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,the country embarked on a journey to plant a billion trees and four yearsdown the lane, the “Billion Tree Tsunami” became the first entity under theglobal “Bonn Challenge” not only to meet its pledge but has todaysignificantly enhanced it by restoring over six million hectares of theforest and increasing the forest cover by more than four percent.
This project created half a million green jobs, revived the forestbiodiversity, engaged the indigenous communities and energized our youth tobecome custodians of a green future.
This has now laid the foundations for the “10 Billion Tree Tsunami” whichprime minister has recently launched across the country, he added.
The advisor said this green political will is also manifesting itself inother areas including increasing mangrove cover, focusing on renewableenergy and also in the transport sector.
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In the renewable energy sector, the government is fully committed tocapitalizing the large indigenous potential in wind, solar and hydro aswell as utilizing nuclear energy.
More than 365 small run-of-the-river hydro projects have been set up in thenorth of Pakistan, providing off-grid and affordable access to “zerocarbon” electricity.
He said in the transport sector Pakistan secured the first transportproject under the GCF with a “zero emission” bus metro system for Karachioperating on cattle waste generated bio-methane.
Another innovative initiative, called ‘Recharge Pakistan” aims to turn ourclimate crisis into an opportunity – by diverting flood waters to restorewetland ecosystems as well as recharge our groundwater.
All are clear indicators of Pakistan’s green political commitment whichremains closely aligned with China’s vision of an Eco-Civilisation, he said.
Pakistan, he said, is going green under the visionary leadership of ourPrime Minister Imran Khan, adding, “Our government’s flagship initiativecalled “Clean and Green Pakistan” is a clear local manifestation of thisagenda.
It focuses on instituting a paradigm shift in our economic planning as wellas catalyzing a national movement for behaviour change.
He said focusing on the five pillars of planting green, management of solidwaste, treatment of liquid waste, improving countrywide sanitation andprovision of clean drinking water, the national programme called CleanGreen Pakistan Movement sets an ambitious agenda for green growth.
