Initiative launched for carbon neutrality by 2050

Islamabad: Pakistan has placed its trust in nature-based solutions to tangibly reduce its carbon emissions, says special assistant to the prime minister on climate change Malik Amin Aslam.

“Pakistan remains on the front-line of climate impact and yet our government, under the leadership of PM Imran Khan, is committed to climate action on the ground. We have put our trust in nature-based solutions and clean energy and believe in being part of the solution to climate change instead of adding to the global problem," he told a round table convened by the Pakistan Environment Trust, British High Commission and Pakistan Textile Council here.

The event was held for the country's leading private companies to shown their climate stewardship to net zero greenhouse gas emissions at the corporate level.

A total of 10 companies across textile and FMCG (consumer packaged goods) sectors were the first to commit to the cause of carbon neutrality by 2050.

Appreciating the Pakistan Environment Trust for convening the 'trail blazers' for climate action, the prime minister's aide said he was hopeful that the bottom-up climate initiative for net zero led by the private sector was unique and would cause a big impact.

British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner sad businesses were key to tackling climate change.

"As we prepare for the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), all companies can benefit from lowering their CO2 emissions and become part of Pakistan’s leadership on climate change,” he said.

Trustee at the Pakistan Environment Trust and former State Bank of Pakistan governor Dr Shamshad said with the worsening of climate hazards in the country, climate change had become everyone’s business – every citizen, city, and corporate.

"It is heartening to see our leading Pakistani companies respond to this urgent crisis. Coalitions are critical to join hands to make the transition to net zero emissions easier, and this collective adoption of zero emissions will enhance company competitiveness by bringing the cost of inputs down while bringing more foreign buyers into Pakistan,” she said.

The commitment to net zero emissions by the coalition, Net Zero Pakistan, was reaffirmed by the participants, who also discussed the initiative road map.

The representatives of Artistic Milliners, Crescent Bahuman, Gul Ahmed, Interloop, Liberty Mills, Mahmood Group, Sapphire Finishing Mills, Soorty Enterprises, Tetra Pak, and US Apparel & Textiles also signed up to the global Race to Zero campaign championed by the British High Commission in the United Kingdom’s role as the COP26 president.

The representatives of the Net Zero Pakistan said they’re part of a national collaboration of pioneering companies, public institutions, and sectoral experts to deliver the goal of net zero carbon emissions for Pakistan by 2050 and would come up with the road map and framework for Pakistan’s private sector to accelerate its sustainability transition and deliver the goal of net zero.

According to them, climate change poses a significant challenge to human well-being and the scientific community has established the role of anthro-pogenic greenhouse gas emissions in accelerating that phenomenon. In this light, Pakistani companies are not insulated from this and can only remain globally competitive by spearheading the country’s net zero transition.