Owing to environmental degradation and climate change, Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to turn 30 percent of Pakistan's vehicles electric by 2030. Khan has also directed the Climate Change Ministry to finalize electric vehicle policy within two weeks.
During a high-level meeting of the Climate Change Committee in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad, Jammu and Kashmir, Khan stressed on the need to do better policy making to counter climate change. He called for vigilant coordination among the authorities to take necessary steps for tackling any situation due to possible floods.
Earlier, PM’s Adviser on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam briefed the meeting on the electric vehicle policy. He said smoke emitting vehicles was a major cause of environmental pollution, particularly in Punjab.
He said the electric vehicles, besides reduction in environmental pollution, would also lessen oil imports and increase business opportunities in the country. “Pakistan will upgrade about 30 percent of its road vehicles to electric vehicles by 2030,” he said.
Amin Aslam said that the world was moving towards electric vehicles and that it would be most suitable for Pakistan to do the same too. “The technology will help cut the demand for oil and we could save about Rs2 billion annually. In addition, pollution will reduce by up to 70 percent,” he said.
He also said that the Punjab Green Development Programme has started working to counter smog in the province. He said that ten smog monitoring centres and several awareness teams have been established to teach people methods to secure themselves from hazardous smog.
The meeting was told that the government is guiding the brick kiln owners to adopt modern methods.
During a high-level meeting of the Climate Change Committee in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad, Jammu and Kashmir, Khan stressed on the need to do better policy making to counter climate change. He called for vigilant coordination among the authorities to take necessary steps for tackling any situation due to possible floods.
Earlier, PM’s Adviser on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam briefed the meeting on the electric vehicle policy. He said smoke emitting vehicles was a major cause of environmental pollution, particularly in Punjab.
He said the electric vehicles, besides reduction in environmental pollution, would also lessen oil imports and increase business opportunities in the country. “Pakistan will upgrade about 30 percent of its road vehicles to electric vehicles by 2030,” he said.
Amin Aslam said that the world was moving towards electric vehicles and that it would be most suitable for Pakistan to do the same too. “The technology will help cut the demand for oil and we could save about Rs2 billion annually. In addition, pollution will reduce by up to 70 percent,” he said.
He also said that the Punjab Green Development Programme has started working to counter smog in the province. He said that ten smog monitoring centres and several awareness teams have been established to teach people methods to secure themselves from hazardous smog.
The meeting was told that the government is guiding the brick kiln owners to adopt modern methods.