Environment, smog: Chinese delegation for strict implementation of laws

LAHORE: A delegation of Chinese environmental experts, led by Chinese Consul General Zhao Shireen, visited the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry and had a detailed discussion with the LCCI President Kashif Anwar on environmental issues.

Xu Haihong from Environment Engineering Assessment Centre, China, Zaheer Abbas Malik, DG Environment Department, LCCI Senior Vice President Zafar Mahmood Chaudhry and representatives of Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences also spoke on the occasion.

Chinese Consul General Zhao Shireen said that the environmental expert’s delegation was invited by the Chinese Consulate and Commerce Ministry of Pakistan to study air quality in Lahore & Punjab and collaborate in reducing the pollution in this region.

He lauded the LCCI for hosting the Chinese delegation which shows the enhanced cooperation with LCCI and Chinese Consulate which could be further strengthened.

Xu Haihong from Environment Engineering Assessment Centre, China said that although China in the past decade has made significant improvement in environmental standards but air preventive control is still very important.

She said that we have implemented strict environment enforcement laws with strong policies towards industrial enterprises.

She further informed that since 2015, China has eliminated all coal powered power plants and from 2011, developed policies for coal power plants. Due to these efforts, 95 percent of industrial sectors now have controlled emission centres.

LCCI President Kashif Anwar appreciated the Chinese friends who have visited Lahore on the invitation of Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi in order to make a critical study of our environment and also share their knowledge and experience as they successfully combatted the issue of SMOG in China. The visit symbolizes the importance of international collaboration in finding sustainable solutions to shared environmental issues.

He said that we are really amazed to learn that China has invested several billion dollars into air pollution control over the past few years and resultantly succeeded in tackling smog, particularly in cities like Beijing. The steps taken by Chinese Government like the implementation of stringent emission standards, the promotion of cleaner technologies, and the establishment of green zones in urban areas have significantly improved air quality.

Kashif Anwar said that similarly, the focus on renewable energy sources and the adoption of electric vehicles have also played a pivotal role in reducing air pollution levels. It is worth mentioning that China has reduced air pollution nearly as much in seven years as the US did in three decades. These achievements are really remarkable and worth-following by other nations.

“We understand the gravity of the situation and acknowledge our responsibility to contribute to a cleaner environment. We have seen that due to lack of awareness among masses about maintaining pollution free environment and because of lack of required technology, the situation of SMOG has aggravated over the few years”, he added.

Zaheer Abbas Malik, DG Environment Department said that when we started working for AQI, we have encountered certain local constraints in implementing ambitious environment policies.

The environment department faces both the technical and resource issues even then cooperation extended by the industry in Lahore, Faisalabad and other cities is commendable.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024