Pakistan's Leadership Role In Climate Change Mitigation Globally Acclaimed, Replicated: Amin

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Mar, 2021 ) :Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam on Sunday defied all social media rumours tainting Pakistan's position at global level sans country's US invitation for leaders' summit on climate change.

Pakistan's leadership role in climate change mitigation and adaptation was globally praised and replicated by world leading countries as the country was among top ten countries leading climate action despite being a developing country with its own resources, he said here while talking to media persons.

Amin said the US virtual moot on climate change was calling world 40 countries who were extensively contributing to global green house gases (GHGs) emissions causing serious environmental degradation and would mull over best possible solutions to curb the impending threat of climate change.

"Pakistan can invite those 40 countries for a global sitting on climate change and extend ground based tested and successful solutions being implemented in the country to address climate change," he added.

The government of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, he said had announced a 10 billion tree plantation programme, following in the footsteps of the present government's 10 Billion Tree Tsunami afforestation project.

The government of Pakistan offered Saudi government all sort of technical support for successful implementation of the programme, he added.

Amin added that the previous government had allocated only Rs150 million for climate change initiatives whereas Prime Minister Imran Khan's government allocated Rs10 billion for various climate change programmes and projects.

The UK government had also replicated the successful Billion Tree Tsunami project with the similar title which was also another feather in the country's cap spearheading climate action, the SAPM underscored.

"We have got the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami project recognized by the world and ratified by international environmental conservation INGOs like WWF, IUCN who are also conducting third party independent monitoring of the project," Amin said.

He highlighted that the US virtual moot was not the international forum to decide future decisions on environmental conservation and addressing climate change rather a platform to bring leading global polluters at one platform to workout strategies to protect depleting nature and biodiversity.

"Pakistan is part of Bureau of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference of parties' climate change negotiations and is also its Vice President where the country has to play a significant role," the SAPM elaborated the country's status at global foras.

He added the Pakistan was also co-chair of Green Climate Fund (GCF) which was a leading financial facility to provide finances to developing countries to implement nature protecting and climate change addressing interventions.

During two important UN conferences on climate change, Pakistan was selected among the top ten leaders addressing climate action, he said, adding, "in one of these sessions Angela Merkel the former German Vice Chancellor was selected to represent developed countries and Prime Minister Imran Khan was given the opportunity to represent developing countries at the UN conference on climate change." The SAPM said World Economic Forum had released seven videos on Pakistan's efforts addressing climate change as part of its initiative to flag global best practices in environmental conservation.

Amin termed the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders' generated propaganda over social media calling Pakistan's lacking to get US invitation for climate change summit due to its reduced funding and chopping off of mango trees in Multan as hilarious.

"I am amused to see such awfully cynical posts over social networking sites giving illogical reasons on the matter. I would like to ask PDM to stop mongering their hackneyed and mocking propaganda and support 10 Billion Tree Tsunami as the country's flag carrier project getting global acclaim," the SAPM said.

He added that Pakistan wanted to join solution oriented global negotiations as it had a lot to show ground based successful interventions being executed. "Climate Change demands do more from the global key players. Pakistan is in the frontline on bearing the brunt of climate change and is reciprocating the same leadership in terms of addressing the issue," he added.