Pakistan’s share in coal-based pollution below 0.08%: Sherry

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ISLAMABAD (Online): Federal Minister for Climate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman on Monday said the country’s share globally due to coal-based pollution and consumption for industrial purposes was below 0.08% making the sector the least contributor to air pollution crisis.
Responding to the query of MNA Sikandar Ali Rahoupoto pertaining to the power production of coal causing air pollution in the country, she said Pakistan being a responsible state was well abiding by its national determined contributions submitted in the UNFCCC to reduce coal consumption.
Senator Rehman said, “As compared to the other countries, Pakistan has very low coal consumption, whereas the coal used here also contains less sulphur.”
She added that major emissions causing air pollution were mostly added by the transport sector as poor quality fuel and vehicular emissions were generating more particulate matter and other air contaminants causing serious air pollution.
The Ministry of Climate Change, she said as per its mandate had rolled out the National Clean Air Policy (NCAP) after proper consultations and input from the provinces.
She underlined that there was lack of education among the masses adding more burden to the existing problem and burning of agricultural waste and solid waste in the rural areas was also a serious risk causing air pollution.
She mentioned that the NCAP set five priority goals with the single aim to reduce air pollution including implementation of efficient quality fuel standards of Euro-5 and Euro-6, enforcement of industrial emissions standards, prevention of agro residual burning, open municipal waste burning and promotion of low emission cooking techs.
While in response to a supplementary query of MNA, Dr Darshan, the minister informed that in implementing NCAP proper guidelines were issued to the provinces along with the action items.
On the query, related to plantation under Green Pakistan Initiative, she said overall more than a billion trees were planted under an equal share of the federal and provincial governments as per their annual development plans.

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