Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Representing from alumni of various US government exchange programs, climate experts, government leaders, and activists have called for climate change solutions and offered individual pledges to tackle global climate issues ahead of COP28.
They expressed these views in an event arranged by the United States Government, the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network (PUAN), in partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan) and the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) in a two-day national conference on “The Climate Change Emergency: Pakistan in the 21st Century and the Road to COP-28”.
The U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, Donald Blome, on the occasion, said, “PUAN represents the diversity of thought and experience. You represent scientists, government, academia, journalists, activists, artists, educators, and much more. You have redefined how we think about climate change, informed policy, and take your work and ideas to the United States and back.”
The Pakistan-U.S.“Green Alliance” framework is a transformative initiative between the United States and Pakistan to address today’s most pressing environmental challenges, especially around water management, climate-smart agriculture, and renewable energy.”
Director General of WWF-Pakistan Hammad Naqi Khan said, “WWF-Pakistan is proud to collaborate with PUAN and the U.S. Mission in Pakistan to host this much-needed national conference which serves as a unique platform for action-oriented discussions and engagement among key stakeholders to address the devastating impacts of climate change on Pakistan.”
“Hopefully, the bright ideas discussed here will make their way into policies and legislation very soon which will create a positive impact on our environment and communities,” he said. Conference panelists stressed the urgency and need for innovation and financing in the climate change space.
The event included interactive working group sessions with participants and experts, formulating national and regional climate solutions.
With the support of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, participants also engaged in an outdoor activity at Trail 5 of the Margalla Hills National Park, which focused on conservation and environmental rehabilitation.
The event also provided a platform for local organizations and start-ups to exhibit their work in tackling climate change issues in Pakistan. The conference was fully funded by the U.S. Mission in Pakistan as a signature PUAN event and part of the Pakistan-U.S. ‘Green Alliance’ framework.
The U.S. government invests more than $40 million annually in exchange programs for Pakistani citizens to visit and study in the United States.
Over 1,000 Pakistanis participate each year in high school, undergraduate, graduate, and professional U.S. sponsored exchanges. Since the alumni network began in 2008, Americans have provided more than 18,000 college scholarships for Pakistani students.
