ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Secretary for Information Technology, Sabeen Ghori, has stressed that environmental challenges are international and require mutual cooperation while calling for consistent policies among governments to achieve sustainable development. Ms. Ghori attended a round table on “Pakistan’s Vision for a Sustainable Future: Environmental Civilization, Environmental Protection and Global Harmony” organized by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) in collaboration with China Global Television Network (CGTN) Urdu here. She was addressing the conference.
Dr. Shakeel Ahmed Ramey, CEO, Asian Institute of Ecocivilization, Research and Development (AIERD) discussed the Chinese concept of ecological civilization, which is rooted in the teachings of Confucius. He cautioned against hasty adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) without adequate infrastructure and stressed the need to balance the green transition with livelihood concerns. Dr. Rizwan from the IRS discussed China’s role in global governance, particularly on non-traditional security challenges such as climate change. He praised China’s green revolution and its commitment to green energy, noting that China is the largest producer of various renewable energy sources, including hydro, wind and solar.
Tasawar Zaman Babar, Program Coordinator, CGTN Urdu, appreciated Pakistan’s long-standing friendship with China that has been maintained through different administrations. He stressed the importance of harmonizing economic development with environmental concerns in light of the current climate crisis.
Khalid Taimur Akram, executive director of the Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future (PRCCSF), emphasized that environmental threats have regional rather than national implications. He argued that policies should reflect this regional scope and praised the CPEC for its alignment with China’s clean green energy initiative, which includes various renewable energy and water conservation projects.
Former Director General of Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (PEPA) Asif Shuja Khan criticized the 18th Amendment which empowered provincial EPAs. He recommended a strategic focus on transport and agriculture sectors and the use of low sulfur coal, conducting a “Strategic Environmental Assessment” for the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and promoting carbon neutrality on its way. Suggested measures like planting trees.
Irfan Tariq, former Director General, Ministry of Climate Change urged Pakistan to learn from China’s experiences to improve air quality and focus on protecting glaciers. Emphasized the need for
Johar Salim, President, IRS, opened the session by stressing the importance of the Round Table in the midst of major environmental changes. He praised China’s efforts to reduce the negative environmental impact of rapid industrialization. He said that like cooperation in economic and defense sectors, Pakistan and China also cooperate on important issues like climate resilience, mitigation and adaptation.