Three-member delegation led by the British High Commissioner to Pakistan Dr Christian Turner Monday called on Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam and pledge to work with Pakistan to support present government’s efforts taken for post-Covid-19 green recovery initiatives and restoring people’s lives and livelihood affected by the pandemic, according to a press statement issued here on Monday.
Both sides discussed at length various matters of bilateral cooperation and opportunities for collaboration in the fields of green economic recovery by enhancing investment in nature-based solutions and green job creations, environmental sustainability, climate change, forest management, air pollution and water conservation and protection and disaster risk reduction.
Malik Amin Aslam informed the British High Commissioner to Pakistan that an ambitious Protected Areas Initiative, approved by the Prime Minister, has been launched recently under the umbrella programme ‘Green Pakistan’, which is the present government’s historic milestone for nature conservation and promotion of nature-based solutions and creation of green jobs. It aims to expand the country’s protected areas cover from 13 percent to 15 percent by 2023 and create 5,000 green jobs across the country that are viewed as crucial in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, while at the same time protecting natural resources of the country.
He also said that the Prime Minister Imran Khan had also approved the ‘Green Stimulus’ package in April this year as part of the government’s efforts to extend green cover in the county and to create job opportunities for the youth, under which so far over 86,000 green jobs have been created for daily wagers rendered unemployed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
While sharing more details of the green and clean Pakistan initiatives launched under the Prime Minister’s Imran Khan’s vision for Clean and Green Pakistan, Malik Amin Aslam told the UK delegation members that the climate change ministry has launched several flagship programmes and projects including the world’s largest afforestation programme of 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Programme, Clean Green Pakistan Programme, Protected Areas Initiative, Plastic-Free Pakistan Initiative, Recharge Pakistan Initiative as a part of the country’s efforts to achieve environmental sustainability and climate resilience through conservation and protection of environment, forests and wildlife, wherein community and youth engagements are being given top priority.
The High Commissioner praised the present government’s green and clean initiatives for creation of green jobs through green stimulus initiative for green economic recovery and green jobs creation, afforestation programme, protection and conservation of environment, wildlife and enhancing Pakistan’s resilience against adverse impacts of climate change on water, energy, agriculture, food security, energy, health, education and lives and livelihoods of the vulnerable rural and mountain communities.
