Pakistan's Agenda at COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow

[Riaz Haq]

Pakistan's contribution to global carbon emissions is less than 1% but it is still ranked among countries most vulnerable to climate change. The energy-hungry nation needs help to finance climate-friendly  development of clean energy sources and climate-resilient infrastructure. Pakistan has provided its NDCs 2021 (national determined contribution 2021) to the United Nations ahead of the 26th conference of parties (COP26) starting today in Glasgow, Scotland. Some of Pakistan's NDC targets are voluntary while others are contingent upon the receipt of financial assistance from the rich nations most responsible for the climate crisis. Some of Pakistan's solution are nature-based such as its Billion Tree Afforestation Project (BTAP) while others require significant increase in low-carbon energy from wind, solar, hydro and nuclear.   

Pakistan NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) For Climate Goa...   Malik Amin Aslam, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's special assistant on climate change, said recently in an interview with CNN that his country is seeking to change its energy mix to favor green.  He said Pakistan's 60% renewable energy target would to be based on solar, wind and hydro power projects, and 40% would come from hydrocarbon and nuclear which is also low-carbon. “Nuclear power has to be part of the country’s energy mix for future as a zero energy emission source for clean and green future,” he concluded. Here are the key points Aslam made to Becky Anderson of CNN:

1. Pakistan wants to be a part of the solution even though it accounts for less than 1% of global carbon emissions. 

 2. Extreme weather events are costing Pakistan significant losses of lives and property. Pakistan is among the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. 

3. Pakistan is moving towards renewable energy by converting 60% of its energy mix to renewable by 2030. Electric vehicle (EV) transition is also beginning in his country. 

4. Aslam said:  “We are one of the world leaders on nature based solutions. However, the World Bank (WB) in its Report yesterday came up with really good numbers in a comparison done of countries who are shifting their mainstream development towards environment friendly policies and Pakistan came atop among them,” the SAPM explained. 

Pakistan Power Generation Fuel Mix. Source: Third Pole

Here's a video of Malik Amin Aslam's interview with CNN's Becky Anderson:

https://youtu.be/Q_s4kQXChuM

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[Riaz Haq]

Tax breaks kick Pakistan's electric car shift into higher gear

https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/tax-breaks-kick-pakistans-elec...

ISLAMABAD, Nov 22 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Pakistani businessman Nawabzada Kalam Ullah Khan had been planning to swap his family's petrol-powered cars for electric models for years.

But it wasn't until a set of massive tax cuts came into effect in July that the 29-year-old from Pakistan's capital Islamabad finally put in an order for two electric cars.

"Someone has to take the initiative to switch to these cost-efficient, environment-friendly vehicles in the face of increasing pollution in big cities - and we've done it," Khan said.

His new cars, he said now cost about five times less to run day to day than his old vehicles, a major incentive to make the switch.

Major Pakistan and Indian cities are struggling with dangerous levels of air pollution, with Pakistan's Lahore this week declared the most polluted city in the world.

Heavy use of fossil-fuel-powered vehicles for transport combined with smoke from seasonal crop burning make the problem particularly severe at this time of year.

But Pakistan's electric vehicle push is picking up speed, nearly two years after the country launched its ambitious green policy, which envisions a shift to 30% electric cars and trucks nationwide by 2030, and 90% by 2040.

Key to the shift are hefty tax exemptions for both electric vehicles imports and imports of parts and equipment to build the cars in Pakistan.



That has helped make the vehicles more affordable, industry figures said, as Prime Minister Imran Khan's government pushes ahead with its plan to cut carbon emissions and urban pollution.

The general sales tax on locally manufactured electric cars - those with batteries holding less than 50-kilowatt hours (kWh) of power - has dropped from 17% to nearly zero, said Asim Ayaz, general manager of the government's Engineering Development Board (EDB).

At the same time, the customs duty on imported electric car parts - such as batteries, controllers and inverters - is down to 1%.

The duty on importing fully built electric cars also has fallen from 25% to 10% for one year, Ayaz told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Officials say the tax relief is a big step toward implementing Pakistan's National Electric Vehicle Policy, originally passed by the cabinet in November 2019.


It aims to put half a million electric motorcycles and rickshaws and 100,000 electric cars, vans and small trucks into the transportation system by 2025.

"Definitely the tax exemptions make the price point (on electric vehicles) competitive," said Malik Amin Aslam, the special assistant to the prime minister on climate change.

"It makes it extremely attractive for the customer to go electric."

Aslam said if about a third of new cars sold run on electricity by 2030, as envisioned, Pakistan could see a big drop in climate-changing emissions and pollution.


Electric vehicles currently produce 65% fewer planet-warming gases than those running on fossil fuels, he said.

Pakistan ranks second, behind Bangladesh, according to a list of nations with the worst air quality compiled last year by IQAir, a Swiss group that measures levels of lung-damaging airborne particles known as PM2.5.

In Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province with Lahore as its capital, transport accounts for more than 40% of total air-polluting emissions, followed by industry and agriculture, according to a 2019 study by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization.

Shaukat Qureshi, general secretary of the Pakistan Electric Vehicles and Parts Manufacturers and Traders Association, said the new tax cuts mean savings of up to 500,000 rupees ($2,900) on imported small electric vehicles.

[Riaz Haq]

Tax breaks kick Pakistan's electric car shift into higher gear

https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/tax-breaks-kick-pakistans-elec...

Shaukat Qureshi, general secretary of the Pakistan Electric Vehicles and Parts Manufacturers and Traders Association, said the new tax cuts mean savings of up to 500,000 rupees ($2,900) on imported small electric vehicles.

He said many members of the association have used the incentives to order them for the first time.

There are no reliable figures on how many electric cars local importers have ordered brought into the country since the government announced the exemptions.

But in his other role as chief operating officer of car company Zia Electromotive, which imports and manufactures electric vehicles, Qureshi said he has ordered 100 small electric cars from China and plans to import 100 more every month after that.

Pakistanis - like many other people around the world - have historically been reluctant to switch to electric vehicles for reasons ranging from higher costs to lack of charging infrastructure and "fear of the unknown", said Ayaz at the EDB.

The tax cuts help remove the cost obstacle, he said - and could help create about 20,000 new jobs in the auto industry as Pakistani car companies start manufacturing electric cars, he predicted.

The charging infrastructure issue remains, though some companies have already established charging stations in big cities and along motorways.

Climate change and development expert Ali Tauqeer Sheikh said the government should encourage the private sector to install more charging stations near offices, homes and parking lots.

To overcome worries that electric vehicles may have no resale value, car manufacturers and dealers could offer buy-back guarantees, he added.

But, Sheikh said, simply selling more electric cars is not enough to tackle Pakistan's emissions and air pollution, since the total number of vehicles being sold - mainly traditional cars - is still growing every year.

He said the government needs to push to completely phase out fuel-run and hybrid vehicles by increasing taxes on them and provide affordable bank loans for people looking to buy electric.

"Poor people who use motorbikes and rickshaws deserve to have more electric vehicles on the roads to cut air pollution," he said.

[Riaz Haq]

Chinese Electric Vehicle manufacturing companies invited to invest in Pakistani market

https://www.app.com.pk/global/chinese-electric-vehicle-manufacturin...

BEIJING, Nov 4 (APP): Pakistan Ambassador to China, Moinul Haque on Thursday called on Liu Ziqing, Member of Municipal standing committee and Secretary of Working Committee of Wuhan and discussed cooperation between Pakistan and Wuhan in the industrial and technological sectors.

During the meeting held at Demonstration Zone of Wuhan new energy and smart network, Liu Ziqing briefed the ambassador about the immense growth potential of Wuhan city particularly in the areas of biotechnology, semiconductors and new energy and smart network. Moreover, the demonstration zone was being developed into an auto valley.


He offered collaboration between automobile companies of the two countries in this special zone.


Recalling that during the opening ceremony of the Military Games held in Wuhan in October 2019, Pakistani contingent was given a standing ovation by the cheering crowd in the presence of President Xi Jinping.


Liu Ziqing said that the people of Wuhan have a special bond of friendship with Pakistan and would like to enhance joint collaboration in diverse areas.


Ambassador Haque remarked that due to their consistent efforts, cooperation between Pakistan and Wuhan was growing rapidly in many new areas.


He noted that new energy vehicles was an important area of cooperation between the two countries as demand for electric vehicles was increasing in Pakistan and invited Chinese Electric Vehicle manufacturing companies to invest in Pakistani market.


The ambassador paid tribute to the brave people of Wuhan for their fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and also thanked Wuhan government for looking after Pakistani students during the pandemic.


Earlier, Ambassador Moinul Haque was given a detailed briefing about the development of new energy vehicles in Wuhan at the demonstration zone. He was also given a tour of locally manufactured AI based driverless electric bus.

[Riaz Haq]

Pakistan: World Bank to provide aid for generating 350MW of clean electricity for Karachi
2 solar parks will be established in suburbs of Karachi, each on a 600-acre land

https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/pakistan/pakistan-world-bank-to-pro...

Under the initiative, two solar parks will be established in suburbs of Karachi each having the area of 600 acres. One of the parks will be established in Maghopir area of District West and the other clean energy facility will be set up in District Malir of Karachi. Each of the park will generate 175 MWs of clean electricity. The project is expected to be completed in two years with a cost of $40 million.


The Sindh Transmission and Dispatch Company, which is a subsidiary of Sindh government’s Energy Department, will lay the transmission line for evacuation of electricity from the solar parks. The K-Electric will be the buyer of the clean electricity and will also establish grid stations for the purpose.


Sindh Energy Minister, Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh, said the provincial government is committed to utilise renewable and indigenous resources for clean power generation for the people of Sindh.

He said the utilisation of the solar power would go a long way to protect the Karachi’s environment and also bring down the cost of electricity for the power consumers in the city.

He said the Sindh government had been making speedy progress to utilise solar power to generate electricity as per the international environmental standards.

The Energy Minister mentioned that after establishing solar parks in Karachi, similar clean energy facilities would be established in Hyderabad, Larkana, Sukkur, and other cities of Sindh.

The MoU was signed by the K-Electric’s CEO, Moonis Abdullah Alvi, and Sindh government’s Energy Secretary Abu Bakar Madani. The World Bank’s Country Director in Pakistan, Najy Benhassine, attended the MoU signing ceremony virtually.

[Riaz Haq]

Fuel being loaded into #Pakistan's 1,100 MW #nuclear power plant K-3 in #Karachi to start generating #electricity by March 2022, brining nuclear to 10% of power in the country. Earlier, K-2 successfully started commercial operation on May 21, 2021. #energy https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/headlines/1867657-pakistan-loa...

akistan has completed the loading of fuel at its Chinese-assisted Karachi Nuclear Power Plant Unit-3 to celebrate three decades of cooperation with its “all-weather ally” China, according to a media report here on Saturday.

Pakistani authorities, after getting a formal permit from the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA), completed the fuel loading process of the second 1,100-megawatt nuclear power plant on Friday, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.

It said that the ceremony to mark “three decades of cooperation between China and Pakistan in the field of peaceful use of nuclear energy” as well as of the fuel loading of Karachi Nuclear Power Plant Unit-3, commonly known as K-3, was attended by top officials of nuclear energy related organisations from the two countries.

The report said that K-3 is in the final stages of commissioning and after operational and safety tests, the plant is expected to begin commercial operation by the end of March 2022.

A new era in the nuclear power development programme of Pakistan commenced with the signing of the 'Agreement for Cooperation in Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy' between the governments of China and Pakistan in 1986, according to the report.

However, the first concrete step in the remarkable journey was taken 30 years ago when China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) signed the contract for construction and installation of a 325-megawatt Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) at Chashma on December 31, 1991, it said.

The cooperation strengthened with the construction of three more nuclear power plants at Chashma Nuclear Power Generation Station (CNPGS) site.

The contract for the construction of two more units having a generation capacity of 1,100 megawatts each near Karachi was signed on February 18, 2013. These units are called Karachi Nuclear Power Plant Unit-2 and 3 (K-2 and K-3).

After the groundbreaking of K-2 and K-3 in November 2013, the construction of K-3 was formally started.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, both Pakistan and China faced all odds and continued the construction work. K-2 successfully started commercial operation on May 21, 2021, and now K-3 is expected to do so by the end of March 2022.

K-2 and K-3 are pressurised water reactors based on the Chinese ACP-1000 design and are generation-three plants equipped with advanced safety features.

With the connection of K-2 and K-3 into the national grid, the share of nuclear power in the energy mix of Pakistan will exceed 10 per cent, according to the report.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

[Riaz Haq]

#Pakistan to plant 540m #trees in spring 2022.
'Plant for Pakistan Day’ to be marked on February 22 with massive plantation drive. #carbonfootprint #reforestation #PlantForPakistanDay #ClimateCrisis #ClimateAction https://gn24.ae/d1ecbf7b8d3c000

Islamabad: Pakistan has announced planting of more than 540 million trees during the spring season of 2022 to tackle environmental problems, said the advisor on climate change.

PM’s special assistant on climate change Malik Amin Aslam said that the plantation campaign would be conducted in consultation with all provincial forest departments and by involving youth, especially scouts, in the plantation drive.


“We have set a whopping target of planting over 540 million plants all over the country during the spring season spread over February to April under PM Imran Khan’s Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme,” Aslam said.

Sharing the details of the plantation campaign, the PM’s aide said that 194 million plants would be planted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province followed by 140 million in Sindh province, 74 million in Punjab, 13.5 million in Balochistan, 98.7 million in AJK and 20.64 million in Gilgit-Baltistan region.

The February-April season provides an unprecedented opportunity to plant as many trees as possible all over the country for dealing with various environmental problems, Aslam said. He urged that “all-out efforts should be taken to take full benefit from the ongoing spring season by planting saplings on a large-scale in the country. Because this is the second major season after monsoon when the soil is ready after receiving good winter rains to let the seedling grow fast and hold their grip on soil strongly.”


Noting that Pakistan is a highly climate-vulnerable country, Aslam stressed the importance of the forest in its efforts to cope with climate risks, particularly floods, torrential rains, desertification, sea-level rise and heatwaves, which have become increasingly frequent due to global warming.

Plant for Pakistan day
Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to kick-start the spring tree plantation campaign on February 22, marked annually as ‘Plant for Pakistan day’. Nearly 4 million saplings will be planted tomorrow across the country and 12.2 million plants would be made available at various plantation sites all over the country for the general public.

As many as 674 events have been planned on Tuesday to encourage the general public to take part in the plantation campaign. Around 750,000 members of the Pakistan Boy Scout Association would join the plantation campaign during the current spring season. The tree plantation programme would be a learning opportunity to get the residents involved in the environment and conservation of natural resources, officials said.

[Riaz Haq]

Pakistan: University adopts several steps to reduce carbon emissions
NED University of Engineering & Technology in Karachi to only allow bicycles on campus

https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/pakistan/pakistan-university-adopts...

Karachi: One of the biggest and oldest engineering universities in Pakistan, the NED University of Engineering & Technology in Karachi, will only allow the use of bicycles by the students, faculty, and staff on its sprawling campus every Friday in an effort to make it a carbon-neutral venue.

Vice-Chancellor of NED University Prof Dr Sarosh Hashmat Lodi stated this as he was one of the keynote speakers at the Annual Environment Conference organized here at a hotel by National Forum for Environment & Health.

He said that only bicycles would be allowed to be used inside the campus when the university would formally resume academic activities from October 19th, 2020 after the coronavirus emergency.

He said that a number of environment friendly measures were being adopted by his university to make its campus a carbon-neutral venue by the year 2021 in connection with the centennial celebrations of its foundation.


Tree plantation
He said that extensive tree plantation, use of energy efficient appliances, energy conservation, reduction in carbon emissions with lesser use of fossil fuel, and greater reliance on renewable resources of energy would be some of the measures being adopted by the university to make its campus a carbon-neutral venue. The NED University has around 12,000 students and over 500 faculty-members as offsetting the Carbon Dioxide emissions on the campus is a major challenge.

Also speaking on the occasion, Sindh Forests and Wildlife Secretary Abdul Rahim Soomro said that tree plantation carried out along the Lyari Expressway in Karachi from Mauripur Bridge was the first successful scheme of urban forest in the province that is now visible to everyone. He said that urban forest schemes were also pursued at the University of Karachi, Shah Faisal Colony, Thaddo Dam in Gadap, areas of Karachi and at the University of Sindh, Jamshoro.

Major issue
He said that encroachment of the forest land was a major issue pertaining to his department as 1,39,000 acres of such forest area had been retrieved in the province from the encroachers. He said that forests had been regenerated on 40,000 acres area of Sindh. He said that tree plantation had been carried out along total 350 kilometres length of different roads and highways in the province.

Soomro said that services of up to 25 female forest officers of Sindh Forests Department had been utilized for a social mobilization campaign as they had been going to different schools to give lectures to students on the importance of greenery and tree plantation.

Sindh Information and Forests Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah informed the audience that Sindh government’s drive to grow mangrove forests along the coastal belt of the province had been recognized at the 2019 United Nations’ Climate Change Conference 2019 in Madrid where Pakistan was represented by Prime Minister’s Adviser on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam. He said that this international recognition of the forestry drive of the Sindh government was a big achievement as the campaign to increase green cover in the province would continue in accordance with the global standards.

[Riaz Haq]

Chinese envoy sees big prospects of Sino-Pak partnership in renewables

https://pakobserver.net/chinese-envoy-sees-big-prospects-of-sino-pa...


Chinese Consul General in Karachi Li Bijian, while speaking as the chief guest at a Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony here, he said for achieving sustained development goals (SDGs) China had made huge progress in green energy as this was future of the world.

China had largest renewable energy resources and cutting-edge equipment and machinery. Pakistan was also making every possible effort for conversion to green energy. It had big potential of renewable energy with Sindh’s better position in solar.

The memorandum of understanding was signed between Chinese Solar Energy Zonergy Company Limited-Pakistan and Altamash General Hospital, Karachi to install 351 KV solar energy plants to feed Altamash’s three health facilities in the city; with expected completion period of three months.

AGH’s Director Dr. Emad Altamash and CEO of Zonergy Company Limited (Pakistan) Xu Hong Chang signed the agreement, which was witnessed by Chairman of Altamash Group, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Altamash, Chairperson of AGH, Dr. Shahina Altamash and Chinese Consul General in Karachi, Li Bijian.

Chinese Consul General said, “I am very impressed by the quality and quantum of medical equipment at Altamash General Hospital.”

He acknowledged Altamash’s health services to the humanity, especially to low income group people. Today, he said, Altamash Group had taken a step forward for conversion to renewable energy.

Being the fastest and tested friends, and big partners in various social and economic sectors, under CPEC China and Pakistan were also increasing their cooperation and partnership in energy sector especially in renewables, which was the only future solution.

For last couple of decades, the two countries had been working together in energy sector i.e. solar, wind and coal power generation.

“My government is committed for renewables,” he reaffirmed.

He described Zonergy as one of leading solar energy companies of China and appreciated the company’s contribution in promoting green energy. During a media chat there, Chinese diplomat congratulated Pakistanis on celebrating their “Pakistan Resolution Day “ and successfully holding great event of two-day OIC Foreign Ministers’ Conference in Islamabad.—APP

[Riaz Haq]

Oracle Power in Joint Venture for #Pakistan Green #Hydrogen. Oracle will invest in, develop & run a facility to produce green hydrogen in #Sindh, using #renewable energy sources. Kaheel Energy is 100% owned by Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum of #UAE. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/oracle-power-enters-joint-venture...

Oracle Power PLC said Wednesday that it has agreed to a joint venture with Kaheel Energy FZE to advance its green hydrogen project in Pakistan.

The AIM-listed power and natural-resource project developer--which is currently developing a coal mine and power-plant project in Pakistan--said the joint venture company, Oracle Energy Ltd., will be funded on a 70:30 basis by Kaheel and Oracle.

The company said Oracle Energy will invest in, develop and operate a facility which will produce green hydrogen in the province of Sindh.

Green hydrogen is produced using renewable energy sources.

Kaheel Energy is 100% owned by Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum, the company said.

"The parties involved will use their combined industry influence, and further build their technical expertise, to move the project forward at pace. Importantly, this joint venture structure materially de-risks the development process for Oracle Power shareholders whilst ensuring we maintain exposure to this potentially highly valuable initiative," Chief Executive Naheed Memon said.

Shares at 0758 GMT were up 0.03 pence, or 8.1%, at 0.40 pence.

[Riaz Haq]

#Solar #Pakistan Expo #Lahore: Sungrow launches 2 key products: Ultra-powerful SG350HX and brand-new generation 3-phase C&I #inverter SG125CX onsite, which can better explore Pakistan's tremendous potential to generate #power from #renewable sources. http://en.ce.cn/Insight/202203/31/t20220331_37451929.shtml

Besides, the solar power giant a 100MW contract with its reliable partner Energy for You, furthering its commitment to renewable energy and fueling the national transition to a low carbon economy.


Pakistan is a perfect place to develop solar power due to its high levels of solar irradiation, and the government also enacts Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan 2021-2030 to facilitate the renewable energy transition. Up to now, 60 percent of Pakistan’s electricity comes from expensive imported fossil fuels and coal. Expanding renewable energy can help Pakistan save about US$ 5 billion in the next two decades. Beyond that, the development of the PV industry has excellent natural conditions in Pakistan, for instance, solar irradiance in Pakistan is 5.3 kWh/m2/day, which means inexhaustible resource for PV power generation. “To help meet Pakistan's targets of clean and green energy, Sungrow expands its cooperation capacity with local distributors to better empower small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as the emerging residential users. The upcoming 100MW sales contract helps provide more clean power for local users in Pakistan,” said Howard Fu, Country Director of Sungrow Pakistan, in an interview with Gwadar Pro.

Since entering the Pakistan market in 2015, Sungrow has made great contributions to the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. It provided inverters for the Zonergy 900MW Solar Power Project, as well as Pakistan's largest cement plant and first plant energy storage system. In 2020, Sungrow won the bid for the photovoltaic construction project of the Presidential Palace of Pakistan to install PV products for the presidential office. At present, it has established a good cooperative relationship with the Pakistani government and many local power enterprises. Sungrow will spare no effort to contribute to CPEC.