LAHORE: Punjab’s Minister for Sports and Energy Malik Faisal Ayub Khokhar told students at the University of Lahore on Monday that no government could tackle climate change on its own, as the provincial capital heads into another season of smog.
Speaking at an event titled “COP in My City”, named after the annual UN climate summit, Khokhar called climate change one of the major global challenges of the era, requiring joint effort by government, universities, civil society, the private sector and the public.
He said the Punjab government was taking practical steps against pollution under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and that a clean and green Punjab was among its priorities, but that public cooperation and responsible behaviour were just as necessary.
Smog and pollution had not received the attention they deserved in the past, Khokhar said, adding that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government had taken them seriously. Ahead of this winter, the province banned dry road sweeping and open burning and deployed thermal drones to track pollution sources.
Pakistan produces less than 1 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions but ranks among the countries most exposed to climate change, a gap Pakistani officials have pressed at UN climate talks.
Khokhar urged universities to hold lectures and seminars on climate and to link research with society’s practical needs. Young people, he said, should learn about air pollution, water conservation, plantation and the careful use of natural resources, and carry those habits into their communities.
Obeying environmental laws, avoiding unnecessary pollution and keeping surroundings clean could all reduce the damage, he said, adding that public awareness must be turned into practical action to protect future generations.
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