ISLAMABAD: The global community has 10 to 20 years left to find a solution to the carbon emission issue. Otherwise it will become difficult to continue life on the planet.

This was stated by founding executive director Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) Dr Tariq Banuri on Monday. Mr Banuri, who is currently Professor at Department of City and Metropolitan Planning University of Utah, was speaking to participants of a lecture titled ‘Sustainable development goals after Paris agreement 2015’ at the SDPI.

Talking about United Nations Climate Change Conference, Mr Banuri said 30,000 people and 150 heads of states gathered in Paris to attend the moot.

“Small island states wanted quick action in the conference as their islands may disappear because of the rise in temperatures. But developing countries were more interested in funding and technology. However, the French government did a better job to engage the people, especially developing countries,” he said. “Before the industrial revolution, there were 280 parts of carbon per million participles in the air but now there are over 400 particles of carbon in one million particles and that ratio may increase to 550 particles per million,” he said.

“In the conference, it was decided that the amount of carbon emission needed to be reduced and after every five years goals will be reconsidered,” he said.

“The good thing in Paris agreement was that every country has to do something. However, the words regarding funding to control the carbon emission were vague.”

He said there were a number of alliances all over the world which had been working to reduce the carbon emission.

“Pakistan has taken the lead in the field of solar energy but now India has also taken an initiative with a coalition of 121 countries who are working on the solar energy.”

He said the Paris agreement was not everything we needed but a major step forward.

Executive director SDPI Dr Abid Suleri said time was very short for Pakistan and we have to think to protect the environment. “We should do it for our self instead of someone coming and pressuring us to take steps for reducing the carbon emission and environment protection,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2015