The Environment Ministry and United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido) on Tuesday inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for 'Institutional Capacity Enhancement for Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)' costing 674,610 dollar.
Director General Environment Javed Ali Khan and Engineer Shahia Yousif Bakhait, Unido representative in Pakistan signed the MoU on behalf of their respective sides. Hameedullah Jan Afridi, Federal Minister for Environment was the chief guest on the occasion and Secretary Environment, Khushnud Akhtar Lashari and senior officials of Ministry of Environment and Unido were also present.
Speaking on the occasion Afridi said that Unido is co-operating with the Ministry of Environment for tackling the environmental issues particularly mitigating the effects of climate change. He said that the new initiatives in collaboration with the Unido will help boost CDM activities in the country and attract foreign investment as well.
The project is aimed to create enabling policy framework through strengthening capacities of the Ministry of Environment--Designated National Authority (DNA) for CDM projects in Pakistan. Clean Development Mechanism Cell, established to facilitate CDM activities in the country, collaborative ministries and private sector by developing systems/skills for identification, assessment and evaluation of CDM projects to keep them in line with the sustainable development objectives of the country. The project will assist the stakeholders in identification of priorities and exploitation of potentials in the industrial sector regarding energy efficiency/renewable energy and other areas.
It will also build the local capacity for effective participation in global efforts on climate change mitigation and adaptation. The project will increase awareness about climate change issues in general and CDM business opportunity in the country in particular and enhance capacities in CDM project development, carbon market development and trade.
The project has a component in developing financing mechanisms for energy efficiency in industry through linking the market in Pakistan with other developed countries such as Norway.
The strategy to be adopted for the project will be bases on Unido's vast experience in capacity building in climate change issues including the Government of Pakistan's own approach on how it sees the climate change and what aspects need to be addressed. The project has relevance the Millennium Development Goals-7 and Millennium Development Goals-8 of the United Nations.