Pakistan's ultimate goal to develop zero waste circular economy: Amin Aslam

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam here on Monday said the ultimate goal of Pakistan was to develop zero waste circular economy under the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“Pakistan will send a delegation to Finland for studying Finnish model of forestation and circular economy,” the Adviser said in a meeting with the Ambassador of Finland to South Asia  Harri Kamarainen, a press release said.

The Adviser admired Finland’s achievements in this regard and showed his keenness to learn from Finnish model by bilateral cooperation.

He told the Finnish envoy that in the first phase Pakistan wanted its federal capital to go waste-free by developing a circular economy. However, a Finnish company was already interested in this project, he added.

Pakistan was the only developing country investing huge finances in afforestation and  planting 10 Billion Trees with a cost of $1Billion, Amin said. “Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ambitious project of planting ten billion trees is a project of global importance,” he noted.

He also apprised that Pakistan had established Ecosystem Restoration Fund where other friendly countries were keen to invest in the fund.

“Pakistan has set a target of 30 per cent electric vehicles (EV) by 2030 where the EV policy is on the cards,” Amin Aslam informed.

The adviser said that it was the National Sustainable Development Strategy which provided a national roadmap for 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Project.

Harri Kamarainen said that Finland was keen to help Pakistan in developing zero waste circular economy.

“Finland is greatly impressed by Pakistan’s efforts for mitigating climate change risks and Prime Minister Imran Khan’s global vision of cutting greenhouse gases”, the Ambassador said.

The Finnish Ambassador during his call on the Adviser had offered a vast spectrum of cooperation in the fields of circular economy, solid and liquid waste management, afforestation, climate change (mitigation and adaptation) and green economy.

The ambassador said that the Finland’s government was very enthusiastic about climate change and leading the agenda with the whole European Union. Finland had performed marvelous job in protecting the forest cover and their sustainable use by developing technology and innovation, he added.

“Finland has introduced shopping bags made of peptic fiber to replace conventional plastic bags, which have been widely used in the country,” Harri Kamarainen said.

He apprised the Adviser about the new technologies and advancement made in the field of environment like environmentally sustainable products such as cotton and construction material made out of cellulose.

He said that currently Finland’s 40 per cent energy mix comprised of renewable solutions but they had planned to go carbon neutral by 2035 and carbon negative beyond that.

He also finalized the details of the delegation visiting Finland in the first week of October this year, adding that Finland would encourage climate change experts to Finland.