By Shaista Hakim
It was in December 2015 that delegates and deputies of more than 150 countries of the world gathered in Paris in connection with the UN Climate Summit. The purport of this huge meeting was to sign an agreement with the firm commitment to control the devastating effects of the climate change which has been affecting the world in a bad way. It was firmly resolved that no stone should be left unturned that the rise in the global temperature should be brought down by 2 degree centigrade.
It is irony of fate that Pakistan has been installing new coal power plants, emanating in to the atmosphere trillions of tons of CO2 during their lifetime of decades. It is astonishing that a country like Pakistan who has been badly banged by climate change and is number 7 on the list, should not hold down on coal. Pakistan ratified the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in 2016 as it has become the most vulnerable country and the adverse effects of the climate changes have told upon it and effects are visible everywhere in the country. Global Climate Risk Index, which was developed by the German Watch, has put Pakistan in the top ten most climate- affected country of the world although Pakistan has no great share in the emission of Global Green Houses Gases.
These days coal’s share in the generation of electric energy is meager, barely 1% of the whole energy generated from different sources; but with lapse of time there is probability that this ratio will out step other sources. The Sahiwal Coal Power Plant has been inaugurated and has started its generation of energy and once all the rest of the projects start to generate energy, then it will touch the 8000 MW capacity, and these plants will be of supercritical technology.
Pakistan is reckoned as the 135th country in the world so far emission per capita is concerned. Pakistan’s total emission in 2015 is 180 million metric tons and the annual rate of increase is 3.9%. But despite such drastic climate changes and environmental hazards, Pakistan has allocated barely 815 million rupees for this purpose. In the light of the BP Global Statistical Review of World Energy 2017 CO2 Emission, in millions of tens, the statistics for Pakistan on the year basis goes as:
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
145.5 157.4 162.1 161.7 161.6 160.2 162.4 161.8 168.6 177.1
Pakistan is very slow in adopting alternative safe technologies and Renewable Energy Resources (RE).Pakistan has launched 6 wind farms with total capacity of 308 MW energy; 9 wind farms of total capacity of 477 MW are under construction while 14 wind farm projects are under pipeline. The accumulative capacity will surge 1956 MW.
These days Pakistan has energy deficit of 4000 MWs, but according to International Energy Agency ( IEA), the demand in the country is almost 19000 MWs and generation is around 15000 MWs, expected to reach 49000 MWs by 2025. Coal consumption for electric energy generation is really very low as compared to the other countries. For example, China has been producing 65% of its electricity from coal and India 63%. With the installation of new power plants of Coal for energy generation Pakistan has started to go abreast the world countries in energy generation mix. But this is bound to prove lethal for Pakistan in the long run and climate shall be greatly affected in the process. Pakistan has been losing around 365 billion dollars due to environmental hazards and catastrophes.
According to an official of the Ministry of Climate Change, Power generation from coal cannot be negotiated at any price as it was their priority. As most of the industries have ceased to function and economic progress has come down to the abysmally nadir position so it is time to use alternative sources of energy generation. He added that Pakistan has never enhanced the emission beyond the control level. Moreover initiatives have been taken for massive plantation throughout the country and 9th February was celebrated as the Green Pakistan Day this year. He was optimistic and said that they were not oblivious to the adverse effects of climate change. He maintained that the new project by the name of Glacier out Lake Burst Fund, financed by the Green Climate Fund and Adaption Fund, is 37 millions strong.
The government is so much concerned that it has passed Climate Change Act and Climate Change Council Authority shall be carved out under the guidance of the Prime Minister .Different experts from miscellaneous departments will be its members. Pakistan has been trying to make the world a safe haven. A recent example is the Red Plus Mechanism and Quaid-e- Azam Solar Park is one such grand project, with 1000 MW electric energy production.
Pakistan needs succor at this moment from the world community and in the domain of hydel power, as the opportunities are great at this juncture. Pakistan has several magnificent waterfalls and cataracts and these can be turned to great energy production. Moreover, Pakistan has very sunny and hot season and the blazing sun can be a great repertoire for the endless stores of energy which can also be exported if technology cares so. These safe avenues can generate a lot of electric energy and can solve the longstanding problems for all time to come.
