Ambassador of Denmark, Rolf Michael Hay Pereira Holmboe, says that Pakistan needs to focus on a Green Transition of the economy and energy sectors to become climate neutral by 2050 and achieve sustainable development.
He was addressing a lecture on Denmark’s Role in the Promotion of Global Climate Sustainability Solutions organized by Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (IPD) and Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS).
The Danish envoy said that Pakistan is among the 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change.
“If the countries facing global environmental degradation and shift in economic and energy sectors do not upgrade their sectors accordingly then they will be, economically, the losers,” he added.
Holmboe highlighted that solar and wind energy are cheaper power generation sources than coal.
Pakistan’s exports should comprise 25 percent of its GDP which is, at present, five percent to six percent. Such countries should adopt green production methods unlike conventional ways as, in the future, consumers are going to favor only sustainably produced goods.
The ambassador was of the view that Pakistani goods would have a lower share in the market due to lack of sustainable production. He said,
It is expected to have a ban on non-sustainably produced goods in the next 8 to 10 years.
He added that the green transition focuses on four key areas mainly energy, water, resources, and cities. Pakistan is already heading towards renewable energy solutions with its new energy plan to be launched soon. Denmark is ready to chip in for collaboration in the sectors’ development and is waiting for the energy plan to be announced, he added.
The Danish envoy said, “Denmark’s energy sector is the most renewable, reliable and the cheapest in the world.” It is necessary for the world to manage its water resources where certain regions of Pakistan, including Sindh and Punjab, are going to observe high temperatures resulting in depletion of agricultural land.
Imbalance of Earth’s Resources
Pakistan needs to focus on its resources as there is a huge misbalance in the resources utilized by the world and their replenishment. With the highest population growth, Pakistan will be affected by it due to the increased stress on its available resources.“Since 1990, Denmark has grown 50 percent and the country is emitting less carbon dioxide than in 1990,” he added.
Denmark, he mentioned, is going to organize the C40 World Mayors Summit in Copenhagen from 9-12 October 2019, and Karachi is part of the summit.
He said cities are the fourth main area to focus as they are key players in the countries’ economic development and sustainability. Cities, he said, use 70 percent of the energy produced and are responsible for emitting 80 percent of carbon dioxide into the air.
With the increasing climate change risk, there have been serious technological advancements taking place in the world from renewable energy solutions to electric cars with zero emissions, so we should avail this opportunity, the Danish envoy said.
He concluded that Pakistan has the solutions available and the way forward is to collaborate with countries like Denmark for research and development.
