KARACHI: Opportunities for reducing carbon emissions were discussed at a three-day training session which was organised by the climate change division of the government of Pakistan and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) here.

The session focused on identifying opportunities for carbon financing in the transport sector.

Carbon financing is a global mechanism which explores opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which carry a price, if traded in the international market, the participants were told.

Hence, projects that reduce such emissions can bring additional revenue, besides other environmental, social and sustainable development benefits.

Participants in the training sessions included representatives from the Lahore transport company, the Sindh transport department, the economic affairs division, the Punjab metro bus authority and the ministry of water and power.

The Pakistan Sustainable Transport Project (PAKSTRAN) is being implemented by the Government of Pakistan, through the Government of Sindh (transport department), government of Punjab (urban unit, planning and development department) and IUCN.

Projects in sustainable urban transportation (including mass transit system) are eligible to generate significant amounts of carbon credits, if designed and executed accordingly.

“As a number of projects on mass transit systems are being planned in future, some of these could be augmented,” said Mahmood Akhtar Cheema, country representative, IUCN Pakistan.

The deputy secretary of climate change division, Sajjad Haider Yaldram, gave an overview on global warming and climate change threats and opportunities while an overview of carbon financing and project cycle was given by Syed Amjad Hussain, head of the CDM cell, climate change division, government of Pakistan.

Dr Saleem Janjua, national project manager, PAKSTRAN, ministry of water and power, said that carbon finance was a field with a potential for growth and learning and awareness of the same would result in producing home-grown experts in the future.

Fazal Karim Khatri, component director, PAKSTRAN, Sindh transport department, supported the efforts being made to create awareness regarding the issue and said that similar events should be put in to develop learning of relevant professionals.

PAKSTRAN is supported by Global Environment Facility and United Nations Development Programme and is being implemented by ministry of communications, through the government of Sindh (transport department), government of Punjab (urban unit, planning and development department), and International Union for Conservation of Nature, with the objective to reduce the growth of energy consumption and related greenhouse gas emissions from Pakistan’s transport sector, while simultaneously improving urban environmental conditions and improving Pakistan’s competitiveness.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2014