EDITORIAL: It is always sensible to examine pathways that help countries reduce emissions and strengthen climate resilience, particularly when those countries rank among the world’s most vulnerable to climate shocks. That is why Pakistan’s updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted to the United Nations ahead of COP30 deserve careful scrutiny.
The document pledges significant emission reductions and outlines an ambition to move toward decarbonisation in line with the Paris Agreement. Yet the debate now unfolding around the plan highlights a deeper policy contradiction that the country can ill afford.
At the centre of that debate lies the inclusion of Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage technology as a proposed mitigation pathway.
The concept itself is not new. CCUS involves capturing carbon dioxide emissions from industrial processes or power plants and storing them underground or reusing them in other products. In theory it allows fossil-fuel-based energy systems to continue operating while reducing their climate impact.
In practice the technology remains expensive, technically demanding and far from universally proven at scale.
The concern raised by researchers and policy analysts is that its presence in Pakistan’s climate plan risks creating the impression of progress without addressing the core structural problem. Pakistan’s energy system continues to rely heavily on fossil fuels, including locally sourced coal. While the government has celebrated a moratorium on imported coal plants domestic coal — particularly from the Thar fields — remains embedded in long-term energy planning. That reliance sits uneasily alongside the country’s stated ambition to reduce emissions significantly by 2035.
Experts who have examined the NDCs argue that the emphasis on carbon capture technologies may function as a policy escape route, allowing the continued use of coal under the promise of future technological mitigation. The difficulty is that CCUS comes with formidable economic and logistical barriers. Capturing carbon alone can cost tens or hundreds of dollars per tonne depending on the technology deployed. Transporting and storing the captured carbon adds further cost and complexity. Suitable geological storage sites are limited, and the infrastructure that is required to support such projects demands significant upfront investment.
For a country already grappling with fiscal constraints, energy-sector debt and industrial stagnation this raises an obvious question: can Pakistan realistically pursue such an expensive technological pathway? The answer from many analysts is cautious at best. Even in wealthier economies, carbon capture projects have frequently struggled with cost overruns, operational delays and uncertain capture rates. Expecting rapid deployment in a financially constrained environment risks diverting scarce resources away from more practical solutions.
Those solutions are neither mysterious nor technologically distant. Renewable energy sources such as solar and wind have become increasingly cost competitive and offer significant mitigation potential. Pakistan’s geography provides strong solar irradiance and considerable wind corridors along its coastline. Nature-based solutions also present opportunities. Mangrove restoration and ecosystem protection can contribute to carbon sequestration while strengthening coastal resilience against climate impacts.
Another factor deserves attention. International trade rules are beginning to incorporate climate considerations more directly. Mechanisms such as carbon border adjustments, already under discussion or implementation in several jurisdictions, could eventually penalise exports produced with high carbon intensity. Pakistan’s export sector remains heavily concentrated in textiles and manufacturing. Energy policy choices today may therefore influence competitiveness in global markets tomorrow.
None of this implies that technological innovation should be dismissed. Carbon capture research may hold long-term value, and emerging mitigation technologies deserve exploration. What matters is proportionality and realism. For Pakistan, the immediate challenge is to align climate ambition with economic capacity and policy coherence.
The updated NDC has opened an important conversation. Pakistan has committed to reducing emissions and transitioning toward cleaner energy while acknowledging that a large portion of the required investment depends on international support. Those commitments must now translate into strategies grounded in financial viability and institutional capability.
Climate policy cannot become another arena where aspirational declarations mask unresolved structural choices. Pakistan’s vulnerability to floods, heatwaves and water stress demands seriousness in mitigation planning. Pursuing expensive technological shortcuts while maintaining fossil fuel dependence risks delaying the transition that the country ultimately needs.
The path forward should focus on scalable renewables, efficiency improvements and credible policy frameworks that attract climate finance. Ambition remains necessary. Illusions are not.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026