Pakistan ranked as world’s third most polluted country: IQAir data

LAHORE: Pakistan continues to grapple with hazardous air pollution, ranking as the world’s third most polluted country according to IQAir data, with average PM2.5 concentrations of 73.7 micrograms per cubic meter, far exceeding World Health Organization guidelines.

In urban centres such as Lahore, winter smog regularly pushes PM2.5 levels beyond 145 micrograms per cubic meter, a reality that guided much of the discussion at the Climate Action Dialogue hosted by BYD Pakistan - Mega Motor Company in Lahore.

Research by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics identified the transport sector as a major contributor to Pakistan’s emissions challenge, accounting for over 43 percent of national emissions and up to 80 percent in dense urban centres like Lahore.

Against this backdrop, speakers at the dialogue emphasised that cleaner, more sustainable transportation represents one of the most immediate and controllable intervention points to reduce emissions and significantly improve air quality, particularly in highly populated cities.

As Pakistan continues to battle worsening smog each year, driven by multiple structural factors, BYD-MMC brought together energy researcher Dr Naveed Arshad, climate expert Ali Tauqeer Shaikh, and climate finance expert Mehak Masood to examine how clean mobility solutions can be deployed at scale.

Opening the discussion, Danish Khaliq, Vice President of Sales and Strategy at BYD-MMC, said that new energy vehicles significantly reduce tailpipe emissions, which are a major contributor to smog in urban cities. He particularly highlighted the impact developing the new energy vehicle industry can have on the country’s gross domestic product. At just 30 percent adoption, clean mobility could add nearly 1.3 trillion Pakistani rupees to Pakistan’s economy and support up to 1.5 million direct and indirect jobs, according to independent research, before even accounting for the significant health and air quality benefits.

Khaliq pointed out that global leaders like BYD can play a pivotal role in bridging ecosystem gaps by bringing technical expertise, supporting charging infrastructure, and sharing learnings from international markets while simultaneously building local capabilities that make clean mobility scalable and sustainable in Pakistan. He added that when market leaders work in close partnership with government, adoption can be significantly accelerated.

The conversation underscored the need to strengthen implementation of the National Electric Vehicle Policy to move towards sustainable transportation, introduce meaningful incentives for cleaner vehicles, and address regulatory gaps that continue to slow progress.

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