KARACHI: The provincial government has prepared recommendations for the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0), while work is also underway on a digital climate registry and dashboard to monitor carbon emissions and assess the performance of climate projects.
Sindh Environment Secretary Faisal Ahmed Uqaili said this at a workshop held on Saturday to explore new investment opportunities to mitigate the effects of climate change and protect the environment ahead of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The Karachi Centre for Climate Change (K4C) and the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (Kati) jointly organised the workshop.
Participants held detailed discussions on various environmental initiatives, including access to clean water, restoration of agricultural land and orchards, reduction of industrial pollution and carbon emissions, promotion of electric vehicles and transparency in carbon projects.
Opening the dialogue, K4C founding director Bilal Sohail stressed the need to translate Pakistan’s climate commitments into practical projects and investment opportunities.
He said effective measures in the water, energy and carbon sectors, along with private-sector participation, were essential for an industrial and coastal city like Karachi.
Lahore High Court Justice Jawad Hassan highlighted the importance of effective environmental legislation, protection of public interest and a clear regulatory framework to address climate change.
He said legal certainty was essential to encourage private-sector investment, adding that laws and policies must ensure environmental protection while providing investors with clear guidance and confidence.
Speaking on the occasion, Sindh Environment Secretary Uqaili outlined the provincial government’s initiatives to address climate change, protect the environment and strengthen policymaking, institutional reforms and practical interventions.
He said the government had approved 13 carbon-market projects and forwarded them to the federal ministry of climate change. These projects had the potential to reduce emissions equivalent to 330.13 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
The projects included wind power, emission reductions in the energy sector, production of biochar from agricultural waste, reduction of methane emissions and sustainable forestry initiatives.
He added that the Sindh government had also prepared six priority climate projects worth $62.15m. These included biogas projects in five districts, floating agriculture in lower Sindh, reduction of carbon emissions from brick kilns and capacity-building initiatives in climate finance.
Mr Uqaili said Sindh faced serious climate-related threats, including extreme heat, floods, water scarcity, rising sea levels and seawater intrusion into coastal areas. Addressing these challenges required joint efforts by the government, private sector and international development partners.
He said Sindh’s provincial recommendations for the NDC 3.0 had been prepared, while work was also underway on a digital climate registry and dashboard to monitor carbon emissions and assess the performance of climate projects.
He added that the provincial government believed in guiding and supporting industrial development alongside enforcing environmental laws. In this regard, memorandums of understanding had also been signed with various educational institutions to promote research and collaboration.
The COP31 will be held in Antalya, Turkiye, from Nov 9 to 20, 2026. Heads of state, government representatives, experts and officials from relevant institutions from across the world are expected to attend.
Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2026
