ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Amin Aslam on Thursday called upon the global community to ‘do more’ on the global climate action to protect the world community from unfolding deleterious impacts of climate change.
“The world has to do more, and fast-track efforts to confront the climate change,” Malim Amin Aslam stressed while addressing the virtual US-led Leaders Summit on Climate hosted by the US government in Washington on April 22, also the World Earth Day.
The SAPM appreciated the US government for convening the Climate Summit at a time when the world is passing through a critical time in the climate negotiation processes to deal with the climate emergency.
“It is a high time the world shows seriousness by delivering real climate action on the ground and not put talks.” Malik Amin Aslam stressed during his address.
The PM’s aide Malik Amin Aslam highlighted that Pakistan is striving to be a part of the solution, through nature-based initiatives, and is committed to not add to the problem of climate change.
“Given the backdrop, the Prime Minister Imran Khan is leading Pakistan away from a coal future towards a clean energy future but we need access to best available technologies and associated finance.” he added.
Without a clear delivery on climate finance there will be no deal at Glasgow COP, the PM’s aide Malik Amin cautioned. He stressed that Pakistan believes in a cooperative, collaborative and inclusive climate negotiations process.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has ramped up efforts to boost the country’s resilience through nature-based solutions to offset the adverse impacts, he informed the participants of the summit.
“As a part of nature-based solutions, the Pakistani government has already launched 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Programme (TBTTP) after successfully planting a billion trees under the Billion Tree Tsunami Programme (BTTP) launched in 2014 in country’s northwest province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa as a response to the challenge of global warming,” he remarked.
The PM’s aide said further that another ambitious Protected Areas Initiative (PAI) launched last year under the over-arching programme ‘Green Pakistan’ aims at the conservation and promotion of nature-based solutions and creation of additional 5,000 green jobs for community members in the protected areas.
Under the initiative, the number of national parks, which are home to wildlife of global importance, has been increased from 30 to 45, bringing estimated 7,500 square-kilometers of land under protection and creating 5000 green jobs, Amin Aslam added.
He further said that Pakistan was among the countries faced with severe economic impacts because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has rendered thousands of people unemployed.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, however, launched a unique post-Covid-19 green economic recovery initiative dubbed as Green Stimulus Initiative for creation of green employment opportunities for those rendered jobless after the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020, said Amin.
“Under the initiative, so far around 87,000 jobs have been generated all over the country in green sectors for the unemployed daily-wagers and engaged in protected and forested areas to protect nature through various green activities,” said Malik Amin Aslam.
“The incumbent government of Prime Minister Imran Khan has set a target of generating 60 percent of the overall energy from clean energy sources by 2030 and run 30 percent of the country’s transport, which is the main contributor of carbon emissions, on electricity generated from clean energy sources.” Malik Amin told the Summit.
Malik Amin Aslam also called upon the world to take more action and talk less to push forward the climate negotiations at the UN-led global climate conference in November 2021 in Glasgow.
The US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris inaugurated the event in Washington.
The United States last week invited Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam to be a distinguished speaker at the virtual Leaders Summit on Climate being hosted by the US President Joe Biden.
The US president had invited 41 world leaders including from Pakistan, India, China and Bangladesh, to the summit.
The Leaders Summit on Climate aims to underscore the urgency – and the economic benefits – of stronger climate action. It will be a key milestone on the road to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) this November in Glasgow.
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