PM for global efforts, funding to low emitting countries for ecosystem restoration

ISLAMABAD, Prime Minister Imran Khan Saturday urged the world to fight back for ecosystem restoration during the next decade and particularly retold the rich countries to assist the poor ones bearing the brunt of their immense carbon emissions.

“Pakistan has minimal contribution in carbon emission. The rich countries responsible for huge carbon emission have the responsibility to at least provide fund so that the countries like ours may fight global warming, improve our environment. The issue is resources gap,” he said addressing the main ceremony of World Environment Day hosted by Pakistan here.

Telecast globally, the event featured the special messages of Chinese President Xi Jinping, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and address by Executive Director of the UN Environment Program Inger Anderson besides State Minister Zartaj Gul and SAPM Amin Aslam.

Held at the beautifully adorned Convention Center with themed green and themed ambience by plants and decorations, the event was attended by the federal ministers, parliamentarians and diplomats from various countries.

A huge number of forest guards was also present who earned huge applause from the audience as the prime minister also paid huge tribute to their efforts and sacrifices to preserve the environment.

Explaining the resource constraints in Pakistan, the prime minister said during the pandemic, Pakistan with a population of 220 million could only scrape around $8 billion for relief package while 330 million nation of United States doled out a package of 4,000 billion to its people.

He told the world that half of Pakistan’s revenue went to debt servicing leaving the government with insufficient resources to support people’s health, education, security and other expenditures.

He reiterated that the resource rich countries should support the developing countries who were fighting the war of climate change. He particularly thanked the UNEP and UN Secretary General for repeatedly pressing the rich countries to take their carbon responsibilities.

He said Pakistan was also making efforts to further reduce its already minimal emissions by switching 30% of its all vehicles to electric transmission and ensure 60% of its power generation through renewable resources by 2030.

He said it was an honor for Pakistan to host World Environment Day which depicted the recognition of Pakistan’s efforts and inclusion among few countries concerned for a better environment for future generations.

The prime minister also urged the nation particularly youth to take responsibility of the environment friendly initiatives so that the world could fight back for ecosystem restoration during UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030.

He said like the developing countries, the teachers in Pakistan should also teach the importance of trees to inculcate in them the responsibility for environment conservation.

He while carrying out any activity, the people must consider its impact on future generations, though some countries had been taking care of their environment since the beginning.

He said unfortunately Pakistan was among those countries where environment protection was nowhere among the government’s priorities. He recalled that since its inception till launch of On Billion Tree Tsunami in KP in 2013, the country had planted only 640 million trees.

However, the PTI government, after success of One Billion Tree Tsunami, launched Ten Billion Tree Tsunami and also planted first billion of them.

He lamented the massive deforestation particularly at the Chhanga Manga, Kundian, Chichawatni and Dipalpur where the land mafias had occupied the forest land.

He said the UN Decade was an opportunity for the world to correct its course by fighting back the pollution, ensure clean water and reduced carbon emissions.

He seconded UK Prime Minister’s words that the future generations would have to bear the cost if we failed to protect environment.

He said apart from measures introduced by Pakistan, some issues needed world’s attention to reduce carbon emission leading to glacier melting posing threats to countries like Pakistan and Central Asia where rivers were fed by glaciers.