Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Friday said that energy conservation plan was being drawn and it would be unveiled soon to deal with wasteful use of fuel, conservation of energies being received from different sources and protection against environmental degradation.
The prime minister was speaking at the Ozone Layer Day conference held under the auspices of an NGO, Subh-e-Nau, at the Governor House to commemorate September 16 as International Ozone Day.
He said that it was awful to see traffic jams on busy roads, unnecessary use of energy resources by the domestic consumers, industrial units and government organisations. Discharge of pollutants from industries that emit poison is the major source of problem. The apathy of the stakeholders toward the increasing threat of ozone depletion is also worrisome.
Shaukat said that Environmental Protection Agency was being energised and activated to do its job. These agencies would have to be made effective, he added.
He identified seven areas of concern and said, "We the stakeholders have to work in unison to cut waste, improve resource efficiency and competitiveness and for this we are working on the following architecture:
1. Creating awareness concerning ozone issues and the importance of meeting the freeze goals to consumer organisations, industry, and the public.
2. Encouraging the multinational co-operation to support the freeze goals for the consumption of halons and methyl bromide and well on its way to meet the targets set by the Montreal Protocol.
3. Providing stimulus for the development of renewable and alternative energy in Pakistan. In future, wind and solar energy will be the primary source of renewable power in areas that cannot be covered by grid stations.
4. Building secure nuclear energy to meet our energy requirements as well as our carbon targets.
5. Extensive use of environmental friendly CNG to reduce pollution level in the cities.
6. Cutting waste and energy conservation, and
7. Developing for more cleaner and efficient automobiles in view of rapid growth in demand for transport.
The prime minister in recognition of services rendered by Dr A. A. Qureshi in environment conservation presented him a shield. "In recognition of more than 50 years of selfless dedication to Pakistan Environment" was inscribed on the Shield. Subh-e-Nau has initiated the shield.
Earlier, Subh-e-Nau CEO Shahida Kausar Farooq spoke at length on the subject of ozone depletion and the slowness of all the stakeholders toward corrective steps.
She proposed a number of steps that should be taken to protect environmental degradation. Dr Javed Chishti presented a paper on depletion of ozone.
Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad and Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim stressed upon the need to protect environment from getting further polluted and called upon the people to contribute their share of good work.
They both called upon the civil society to play due role and guide the government on methods to improve deterioration that had already set in.
Government officials, businessmen and members of the civil society attended the conference.
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