LAHORE: On September 13, Pakistan will join a wave of protests sweeping across Asia, calling for an end to fossil fuels and a rapid transition to renewable energy. These demonstrations, part of a global climate march, will urge world leaders to take immediate action on climate change ahead of the United Nations Summit of the Future and COP29.

In Karachi, the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Pakistan Maholiati Tahaffuz Movement, and Human Rights Commission of Pakistan will organize a protest at the Karachi Press Club, highlighting the impact of fossil fuels on coastal communities and the environment.

In Jamshoro, Sindh, the Policy Research Institute for Equitable Development (PRIED) and partners, including Alternative Law Collective (ALC), Indus Consortium, and Alliance for Climate Justice and Clean Energy, will mobilize at an ADB-funded coal site, demanding an end to coal expansion and a shift to sustainable energy sources.

In Faisalabad, the Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee, Pakistan Labour Qaumi Movement, and Labour Education Foundation will organize a demonstration at Aman Ghar, a labor training center, focusing on the impact of fossil fuels on industrial workers and the need for a just transition to renewable energy.

These actions will emphasize the need for the Pakistan government to stop coal expansion and rapidly phase out existing coal, while also highlighting the Global North’s continued financing of coal projects in Asia despite pledges to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024