ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Federal Minister for Climate Change Zahid Hamid on Tuesday urged for collaborative efforts of the countries in the South Asian Region to bring positive and sustainable changes in the environment.
While addressing the inaugural session of 19th, Sustainable Development Conference 2016, the minister said that conferences and seminars are the key forum for the collaboration of think tanks at one platform to see the future challenges and opportunities to draw a collective strategy for a better future of the region.
He said, “This forum can provide valuable opportunity to policy makers, legislators, civil society and academia from Pakistan and across the region to share ideas, knowledge and experiences which can help in achieving get goals. Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) conferences are consistently focused on important current issues not only of Pakistan but of entire South Asian region.
The theme of the conference was ” Sustainable Development: Envisaging the future together”.
He said, “The new global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are aimed at ending poverty and hunger, to protect the planet from degradation: to ensure that all human beings can enjoy prosperous and fulfilling lives to foster peaceful, just and inclusive societies which are free from violence.
He informed that Pakistan has also developed a National Sustainable Development Strategy, and 19th February, 2016 Pakistan became perhaps the first country in the world whose National Assembly passed a unanimous Resolution adopting the SDGs Agenda as its own national development agenda.
“Pakistan Parliament is also the first Parliament in the world to become completely `’green” by converting 100% to solar energy.
As part of our plans to promote renewable energy, we are constructing the world’s largest 1000 MW solar park”.
Zahid further said, “To promote effective conservation and efficient use of energy we have also enacted the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act, 2016.Launch of PM’s Green Pakistan Programme to be implemented all over the country to the tune of Rs. 2 billion.”
He informed about the outcomes of COP-22 that includes Marrakech Action Proclamation for Climate Change and Sustainable Development, parties set a rapid deadline of 2018 to complete the rule book for operationalizing the Paris Agreement to ensure confidence, cooperation, progress across key areas of climate action including climate finance, adaptation, capacity building, technology and gender-responsiveness, roadmap for climate finance: formulated and discussed.
An anthology titled “Securing peace and Prosperity” jointly published by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) and Sang-e-Meel was launched at the Inaugural of SDPI’s nineteenth Sustainable Development Confrence.
The conference will continue till December 8, 2016.
Source: APP
