Zartaj Gul lauds Denmark's interest in Pakistan’s world-acclaimed green initiatives

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul lauded the Danish government for its interest in Pakistan’s green initiatives and furthering it through enhanced collaboration in the shape of transfer of technology and capacity-building of the relevant sectors for effective implementation of the Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision.

Danish Ambassador Lis Rosenholm on Thursday called on Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul Wazir and conveyed her government’s interest to join and support various green initiatives launched under the Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision for Clean Green Pakistan.

“Both sides agreed to boost bilateral cooperation and joint working for learning from each other’s green initiatives related to forestry, renewable energy, energy efficiency, vertical gardening initiatives and water management,” Climate Change Ministry media spokesperson Muhammad Saleem Shaikh said in a press statement while sharing various aspects of the bilateral meeting held at the climate change ministry.

“However, the Danish Ambassador and minister of state Zartaj Gul resolved to deepen further Pakistan-Denmark relations through enhanced cooperation and collaboration in, among others, forestry, renewable energy, water and disaster management through jointly working towards Prime Minister’s world-acclaimed vision for clean, green and climate-resilient Pakistan,” he added.

Danish ambassador told the state minister Zartaj Gul that Danish government, which is committed to global climate and environmental sustainability actions, is deeply appreciative of the stimulating vision of PM Khan for Clean Green and environmentally-sustainable and resilient Pakistan.

Ambassador was also impressed with Clean Green Pakistan programme and various green projects initiated under the vision, specially one of the world’s largest ambitious 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Programme (TBTTP) Ecosystem Restoration Initiative for promotion of nature-based solutions, Protected Areas Initiative for conservation and protection of the environmentally-sensitive and biodversity-rich wildlife areas.

She also informed the minister that Denmark is a world leader in fighting climate change. We aim to reduce country’s carbon emission to 70% by 2030 (below its 1990 levels), with carbon neutrality targeted already by 2050.

During the meeting, the Danish envoy Lis Rosenholm extended her government’s offer to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with climate change ministry in Green Framework for enhanced bilateral collaboration in environmental, climate change, renewable energy, water management and forestry sectors for supporting Pakistan’s green initiatives.

“We are very much honoured to receive the offer for signing agreement with the Danish government for boosting cooperation in the forestry, environment, ecosystem restoration, renewable energy, water conservation, vertical gardening, urban forestry and would sign the MoU after go-ahead from the Prime Minister Imran Khan,” Zartaj Gul told media after the meeting.

While sharing details of Pakistan’s green projects being implemented under the environmental leadership of PM Imran Khan, she told the Danish ambassador that the climate change ministry was implementing several globally-acclaimed flagship programmes and projects in technical support with the international UN organisations including United Nations Development Programme and UN Food and Agriculture organisation and the World Bank.

“The world’s largest ambitious afforestation programme of 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Programme, Clean Green Pakistan Programme, National Apiculture Programme, National Olive Tree Tsunami Progject, Ecosystem Restoration Initiative and Protected Areas Initiative are now being implemented successfully in consultation and coordination with the international organizations to attain climate resilience and environmental sustainability through the initiative, Zataj Gul added.

The minister also apprised the ambassador that another ambitious Protected Areas Initiative (PAI) launched last year under the over-arching programme ‘Green Pakistan’ aims at the conservation and promotion of nature-based solutions and creation of additional 5,000 green jobs for community members in the protected areas.

“The ambitious PAI primarily was being implemented at a full-throttled pace to boost the country’s protected areas cover from 13 per cent to 15 per cent by 2023 and create 5,000 green jobs across the country,” Malik Amin Aslam elaborated.

She also informed the ambassador that the climate change ministry has also launched a unique post-Covid-19 green economic recovery initiative dubbed as Green Stimulus Initiative for creation of green employment opportunities for those rendered jobless after the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020.

Under the initiative, so far around 87,000 jobs have been generated all over the country in green sectors for unemployed daily-wagers, which is being replicated in other countries in line with Pakistani model.

Danish Ambassador Lis Rosenholm emphasised during the meeting that her government considers youth and children as key stakeholders when it comes to their role for health of our Planet. And its is equally heartening to note that Pakistan also assigns greater importance to the youth participation in green initiatives and climate action, she added.

“Pakistan and Denmark share ambitions on greening the Planet. We see eye-to-eye on the challenge of climate change. I am always delighted to discuss solutions, exchange knowledge and explore collaboration between our countries. Partnership is the only way to tackle climate changes,” she highlighted.

The ambassador and the state minister agreed and said, “We all have an important role to play and to get the world on a zero-carbon path we need to learn from and inspire one another.”