Sameer Nazir Siyal
KARACHI: Opportunities towards reducing carbon emissions were explored at a three-day training organized by the Climate Change Division, Government of Pakistan, and IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, here in Karachi.
The session focused on identifying opportunities with regard to carbon financing in the transport sector. Carbon financing is a global mechanismand explores opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which carry a price, if traded in international market. Hence, projects that reduce such emissions can bring additional stream of revenue, besides other environmental, social and sustainable development benefits.
Participants in the trainings included representatives from Lahore Transport Company, Sindh Transport Department, Economic Affairs Division, Punjab Metro Bus Authority and Ministry of Water & Water.
The PAKSTRAN Project is being implemented by the Government of Pakistan, through the Government of Sindh (Transport Department), Government of Punjab (Urban Unit, Planning and Development Department) and IUCN.
“Projects in sustainable urban transportation (including mass transit system) are eligible to generate significant amounts of carbon credits, if designed and executed accordingly. As a number of projects on mass transit systems are being planned in future, some of thesecould be augmented,” said Mahmood Akhtar Cheema, Country Representative, IUCN Pakistan.
Mr. Sajjad HaiderYaldram, Deputy Secretary, Climate Change Division, Government of Pakistan, gave an overview on global warming and climate change threats and opportunities while an overview of carbon financing and project cycle was given by Mr. Syed Amjad Hussain, Head, CDM Cell, Climate Change Division, Government of Pakistan.
Dr. Saleem Janjua, National Project Manager, PAKSTRAN, Ministry of Water & Power, Government of Pakistan, stressed that “carbon finance was a field with a potential for growth and learning and awareness of the same would result in producing home-grown experts in the future.”
Mr. Fazal Karim Khatri, Component Director, PAKSTRAN, Sindh Transport Department, supported the efforts being made to create awareness regarding the trainings’ content and said that similar events should be put in the pipeline to develop learning of relevant professionals.
PAKSTRAN is supported by Global Environment Facility (GEF) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and is being implemented by Ministry of Communications, Government of Pakistan, through the Government of Sindh (Transport Department), Government of Punjab (Urban Unit, Planning and Development Department), and IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, with theobjective ‘to reduce the growth of energy consumption and related greenhouse gas emissions from Pakistan’s transport sector, while simultaneously improving urban environmental conditions and improving Pakistan’s competitiveness’.