Pak-EPA ensures environmental laws compliance despite limited resources: Zartaj

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul Thursday said the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) was ensuring environmental laws compliance despite limited resources.

The Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) was going to provide newly equipped latest air quality monitors to Pak-EPA for better air quality monitoring and data evaluation, she said while addressing the two-day Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report training organised by Pak-EPA.

Zartaj said the industrial sector should ensure its obligations under corporate social responsibility and EIA evaluation for community development and ecological conservation. "Industrial sector's sustainable growth and development in eco-friendly direction is the core focus of Prime Minister Imran Khan."

She added that our industrial sector was not that massive or gigantic like developed country and was even smaller as compared to the population ratio of the country. "Pakistan is contributing less than one percent to global green house gas emissions but still bears maximum burden of climate change induced natural calamities."

The MoCC, she said wanted to work in unison with the industry and Pak-EPA for environmental conservation, community development and sustainable growth of the sector.

She lauded the initaitve of Pak-EPA to engage participants of 20 different organisation of the corporate sector to educate and apprise them on EIA report formation and its significance.

The minister of state expressed that the corporate and industrial sector should trust its regulators as they were to assist them in adopting good and ecology preserving practices in their industries.

She mentioned that it was not possible to bring climate urgency among masses of 220 million population, crumbled economy and developing country. "But Prime Minister Imran Khan due to his vision and passion for environmental conservation has raised awareness among the masses on climate change and is reckoned among the top five leaders of the world leading climate change awareness at public level."

Zartaj said the training was an opportunity and it opened a new vista for the industry to benefit and grow in sustainable manner along with environmental conservation and community uplift.

She also hinted towards strict enforcement drive to be launched in the next month against plastic bags ban and said: "This time we are going to fine first time users of plastic bags other than the shopkeepers and manufacturers for using plastic bags."

Speaking on the occasion, Director General Pak-EPA Farzana Altaf Shah said the present government has given core priority to environment.

The MoCC was giving unprecedented support to Pak-EPA that helped in strict enforcement of environmental laws in the federal capital, she added.

She appreciated the commitment and support of the ministry for Pak-EPA and said she had accompanied EPA teams during various visits to steel manufacturing units and other campaings of public awareness. "The SAPM on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam, Minister of State Zartaj Gul and Secretary MoCC all are giving full support to Pak-EPA which is motivating for the environmental watchdog to perform wholeheartedly."

She added that the training session was the second round of interaction with the industrial sector which was assisted by the Ministry.

The representative from the participants thanked Pak-EPA for providing training on EIA report. He said the Pak-EPA team had held a candid and collaborative interaction with the participants that helped the industrial sector to explore a new facet of the Agency.

He welcomed the opportunity to further partake in such dialogues.