Carbon Absorption Count Being Made To Get Eco-conservation Claim, National Assembly Body Told

The Sub-committee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Climate Change Friday was told that carbon, being absorbed by trees during the last seven-year, was being calculated to get Eco-conservation claim from global carbon market

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Mar, 2020 ) :The Sub-committee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Climate Change Friday was told that carbon, being absorbed by trees during the last seven-year, was being calculated to get Eco-conservation claim from global carbon market.

Previously, this exercise was carried out in 2004 to make carbon absorption count of the time spanning over eight years (2004-2012), the Ministry of Climate Change official told the committee which met here with Engineer Sabir Hussain Kaim Khani in the chair.

He added that the Carbon credits sink (the amount of carbon absorbed by a tree) was being estimated in the country under Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Plus (REDD+) project.

The Ministry of Climate Change under the programme would initiate the process of carbon credit demonstration from 2013 to 2020, they added.

"During the demonstration process, we have to show how much carbon is being sunk or collected by the trees. After that, it will be possible to receive funding through carbon credits market," the ministry officials noted.

However, the committee expressed its displeasure over the ministry's failure to send in time briefs for the committee members.

The committee sought the details of the forest cover from the ministry and the provincial forest departments.

The committee also directed the ministries and provinces to submit details of development funds allocated for the promotion of forests.

Secretary Forest Punjab briefed the committee that the department was bringing amendments to the Act to further improve forest conservation.

"Under the 10 billion Tree Programme, we have started plantation across the province whereas land allocation is also made in this regard. Local plants species are being planted in Punjab including Pine, Phulai, Sheesham, Keekar and Bary," he added.

The Punjab Secretary Forest claimed that forest rate had increased in the province whereas 460 million saplings would be planted across the province under 10 Billion Tree Plantation project.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Conservator Forest Ali Grohar briefed the committee that prior to the Billion Tree Tsunami programme, the province's forest cover was 20 percent.

"Forest cover has increased by 6.7% after the Billion Tree project as at present, the forest area of the province is 26.2 percent."