By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: The Year of 2019, drawing closer fast, has set the tone of 2020 for China-Pakistan nexus against environmental challenges, carbon emission and pollution.
According to a report published by Gwadar Pro Net, throughout the year, all the ongoing projects under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) strictly met international and national standards to curb environmental hazards. On the basis of hard-facts and statistics, no report has been surfaced on national and global landscapes framing the sense that China’s projects have taken a heavy toll on environmental health of Pakistan.
In order to help reduce carbon emission and import bill, China has been joining hands with Pakistan in implementing country’s first National Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy 2019. Under the policy, a special unit of electric car manufacturing will be established in the Special Economic Zones under CPEC.
Four years are being envisaged to convert 100,000 cars and 500,000 two- and three-wheelers into electric vehicles in phases. Pakistan greenhouse gas emission from various means of transportation is around 40 percent and new e-auto policy will help transform 30 percent of its vehicles from fossil fuel to electricity by 2030.
JAC Motors, a Chinese state-owned automobile and commercial manufacturer based in Anhui province, has also shown willingness to introduce electric vehicles particularly cars. This company is already exporting its products especially the light and mini trucks to Pakistan.
Meanwhile, many Chinese companies have singed 14 MOUs with Pakistan-based Rahmat Group to establish Electrical Complex at Nooriabad. Rahmat Group has also inked an agreement with a Chinese leading electric vehicle company, BYD, for the assembly of EVs.
The joint venture will open up a new era of e-vehicle due to which motorcyclists will be able to save around Rs. 4,000 each month and people owning a car will be able to save around Rs. 25,000-30,000.
This kind of saving will be seen in the use of buses or coaches with an estimated saving of Rs. 300,000-500,000 every month. EVs will prove to be beneficial for the environment as they emit zero emissions and will help cut air pollution and global warming, a growing concern for Pakistan.
Helping Pakistan fight against deforestation, China is executing extensively afforestation plans to increase tree density under CPEC projects. They are also in tune with current initiative of Prime Minister Imran Khan “the Clean Green Pakistan Index (CGPI) 2019” as part of his government’s endeavors to control pollution and minimize the effects of climate change.
In the process of improving environmental situation under the Renewable Energy Policy 2019, a number of renewable projects under CPEC either have been completed or are in the process of completion, the report added.
