ISLAMABAD: As part of federal government's policy to introduce electric vehicles (EVs) in Pakistan, a charging station for EVs is being set up on Motorway to facilitate the travellers as EVs would hit the roads in near future, Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul briefed National Assembly panel on Thursday.
"To improve environmental standards with a focus to curtail air pollution as much as possible, the electric vehicles are being introduced in the country and they would be on the roads of Pakistan soon," she said while briefing National Assembly Standing Committee on Climate Change.
She said the Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) in collaboration with other government organisations including Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) is setting up a charging station at Bhera Interchange on Motorway while another charging station would be set up in Lahore.
She said the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) recently regarded Pakistan's data on Green House Gas (GAG) emissions 'more scientific and authentic' than India's.
Pakistan, she said, is a signatory of the UNFCCC since 1994 and the latter had pledged adequate financial assistance, technology transfer and capacity building for developing countries including Pakistan to help them reduce GHG emissions.
"But the question is; how much has the UNFCCC really supported us for this purpose? There is practically no significant support and Pakistan is managing to curtail GHG emissions through our limited resources. Even if there has been support from UNFCCC, it's just peanuts. In reality, we are on our own. In our case, the pledges and promises that were made to us and assurances that were given to us (by UNFCCC) are yet to be materialised," she said.
Federal Secretary Climate Change Naheed Shah Durrani briefed the committee that the Global Climate Impact Studies Centre (GCISC) had a dedicated team of scientists working on economic data from oil refineries, industry, agriculture and livestock sectors to compile 'very intricate data' on GHG emissions calculations. "Much is being done in this regard and we are very determined in making significant progress to curtail GHG emissions," she said.
On 10 Billion Tree Tsunami initiative, she said MoCC took assistance from Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) for scientific monitoring of 10 Billion Tree Tsunami plantation drive-to get satellite images for verification of plantation targets implemented across the country. "Everything is being done on systematic and scientific lines. This initiative is a thorough success," the secretary climate change said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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