Meghan Hodges
Pakistan's air pollution is among the worst in the world, causing havoc to public health and the economy. The country's current air pollution control measures are insufficient to meet its own air quality standards. However, there are several ways to improve air quality in Pakistan, including implementing sustainable development strategies, switching to more electric vehicles, reducing burning in agricultural waste and the residential sector, and prioritising the importation of natural gas, LNG, and LPG over coal and oil.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Implementing sustainable development strategies | Could reduce nationwide PM2.5-related mortalities by 24% in 2050 compared to the baseline |
| Reducing particulate matter emissions and other air pollutants | Could reduce greenhouse gases |
| Switching to more electric vehicles | Could make industry more efficient |
| Reducing burning in agricultural waste and in the residential sector | Could reduce greenhouse gases and short-lived climate pollutants |
| Converting traditional brick kilns to zigzag technology | Could significantly contribute to reducing air pollution in the province |
| Promoting and providing incentives for coal-bed methane capture | Could reduce emissions from the country's energy sector |
| Prioritising the importation of natural gas, LNG, and LPG over coal and oil | Could reduce emissions from the country's energy sector |
| Ensuring the country's energy sector has 20% of its generation capacity from alternative and renewable sources by 2025, and 30% by 2030 | Could reduce emissions from the energy sector |
| Halting the construction of new coal power plants | Could reduce emissions from the energy sector |
What You'll Learn
- Pakistan's Clean Air Plan aims to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030
- The Pakistani government has committed to halting the construction of new coal power plants
- The country's brick kilns have been converted to zigzag technology, reducing air pollution
- Sustainable development strategies could reduce PM2.5-related mortalities by 24% in 2050
- The country is switching to more electric vehicles to reduce particulate matter emissions
Pakistan's Clean Air Plan aims to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030
Pakistan's current air pollution control measures are insufficient to meet the country's air quality standards. Implementing sustainable development strategies will reduce nationwide PM2.5-related mortalities by 24% in 2050 compared to the baseline. Advanced control measures have the potential to improve air quality and human health in Pakistan, and when combined with national sustainable development strategies, they have the potential to halve greenhouse gas emissions and save on emission control costs by a quarter by 2050.
The National Climate Change Policy of Pakistan of 2012 included multiple policy measures to reduce emissions from the country’s energy sector, including promoting and providing incentives for coal-bed methane capture, and prioritising the importation of natural gas, LNG, and LPG over coal and oil. The Alternative and Renewable Energy Policy of Pakistan, initiated in 2019, directs the country’s energy sector to have 20% of its generation capacity from alternative and renewable sources by 2025, and 30% by 2030.
In 2021, the Ministry of Climate Change announced that all 7,896 traditional brick kilns in the Punjab province of Pakistan had been converted to zigzag technology, which would significantly contribute to reducing air pollution in the province. Implementing the actions that deliver the biggest benefits for air pollution leads to a reduction in greenhouse gases. This includes switching to more electric vehicles and reducing burning in agricultural waste and in the residential sector.
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The Pakistani government has committed to halting the construction of new coal power plants
The government's decision to halt the construction of new coal power plants is part of a wider effort to cut emissions from the energy sector. The National Climate Change Policy of 2012 included measures to promote and provide incentives for coal-bed methane capture, and to prioritise the importation of natural gas, LNG, and LPG over coal and oil. The Alternative and Renewable Energy Policy of Pakistan, initiated in 2019, directs the country's energy sector to have 20% of its generation capacity from alternative and renewable sources by 2025, and 30% by 2030.
Pakistan's Clean Air Plan sets out a variety of ways that the country can enhance its methane emissions reductions, including leak detection and repair in the oil and gas sector. The plan also focuses on reducing particulate matter emissions and other air pollutants, such as by switching to more electric vehicles and reducing burning in agricultural waste and in the residential sector.
While Pakistan has made progress in reducing air pollution, its current control measures are still insufficient to meet the country's air quality standards. Implementing sustainable development strategies will be key to reducing PM2.5-related mortalities and improving air quality and human health in Pakistan.
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The country's brick kilns have been converted to zigzag technology, reducing air pollution
Pakistan has some of the worst urban air pollution in the world, which has a detrimental impact on public health and the economy. In 2021, the Ministry of Climate Change announced that all 7,896 traditional brick kilns in the Punjab province of Pakistan had been converted to zigzag technology, which would significantly contribute to reducing air pollution in the province.
The National Climate Change Policy of Pakistan, introduced in 2012, included multiple policy measures to reduce emissions from the country's energy sector, including promoting and providing incentives for coal-bed methane capture, and prioritising the importation of natural gas, LNG, and LPG over coal and oil. The Pakistani government has also committed to halting the construction of new coal power plants in the country.
Pakistan's Clean Air Plan establishes a variety of ways that the country can enhance its methane emissions reductions, including leak detection and repair in the oil and gas sector. The plan also includes switching to more electric vehicles, and reducing burning in agricultural waste and in the residential sector.
Pakistan is also a signatory to the Global Methane Pledge, a voluntary commitment to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30 per cent by 2030, which could eliminate over 0.2˚C of warming by 2050. Implementing sustainable development strategies will reduce nationwide PM2.5-related mortalities by 24% in 2050 compared to the baseline.
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Sustainable development strategies could reduce PM2.5-related mortalities by 24% in 2050
Pakistan's air pollution control measures are currently insufficient to meet the country's air quality standards. However, implementing sustainable development strategies will reduce nationwide PM2.5-related mortalities by 24% in 2050 compared to the baseline. This will also halve greenhouse gas emissions and save on emission control costs by a quarter (0.32% of GDP) by 2050.
Pakistan's Clean Air Plan establishes a variety of ways that the country can enhance its methane emissions reductions, including leak detection and repair in the oil and gas sector. Pakistan is also a signatory to the Global Methane Pledge, a voluntary commitment to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030, which could eliminate over 0.2˚C of warming by 2050.
The Pakistani government has also taken steps to reduce emissions from the energy sector, such as promoting and providing incentives for coal-bed methane capture, and prioritising the importation of natural gas, LNG, and LPG over coal and oil. The Alternative and Renewable Energy Policy of Pakistan, initiated in 2019, directs the country’s energy sector to have 20% of its generation capacity from alternative and renewable sources by 2025, and 30% by 2030.
In 2021, the Ministry of Climate Change announced that all 7,896 traditional brick kilns in the Punjab province of Pakistan had been converted to zigzag technology, which would significantly contribute to reducing air pollution in the province. Additionally, the Pakistani government announced in 2020 that it would halt the construction of new coal power plants in the country.
These measures, combined with sustainable development strategies, have the potential to significantly improve air quality and human health in Pakistan, while also providing economic and environmental benefits.
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The country is switching to more electric vehicles to reduce particulate matter emissions
Pakistan is taking steps to reduce its air pollution, which is among the worst in the world. The country is switching to more electric vehicles to reduce particulate matter emissions. This is part of a wider strategy to reduce greenhouse gases, which includes switching to more efficient energy sources and reducing burning in the agricultural and residential sectors. Pakistan's Clean Air Plan also aims to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030, through leak detection and repair in the oil and gas sector, and the country has committed to halting the construction of new coal power plants.
The Pakistani government has also incentivised the use of natural gas, LNG and LPG over coal and oil, and is aiming for 20% of its energy generation capacity to come from alternative and renewable sources by 2025, and 30% by 2030. In 2021, all 7,896 traditional brick kilns in the Punjab province were converted to zigzag technology, which will significantly reduce air pollution in the region.
These measures are expected to have a significant impact on air quality, public health and the economy. Implementing sustainable development strategies will reduce nationwide PM2.5-related mortalities by 24% in 2050 compared to the baseline, and stringent air pollution control measures could cut PM2.5 levels in half by the same year.
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Frequently asked questions
Pakistan has developed a National Clean Air Plan, which focuses on reducing particulate matter emissions and other air pollutants. The country is also a signatory to the Global Methane Pledge, which aims to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030. Pakistan's Alternative and Renewable Energy Policy also directs the country's energy sector to have 20% of its generation capacity from alternative and renewable sources by 2025, and 30% by 2030.
Pakistan can prioritise cost-effective co-control of air pollution and greenhouse gases in its future policymaking. This includes implementing sustainable development strategies, which have the potential to reduce nationwide PM2.5-related mortalities by 24% in 2050 compared to the baseline.
Reducing air pollution in Pakistan will have significant co-benefits in terms of air quality, human health, and cost. It is estimated that stringent air pollution control measures could cut PM2.5 levels in half by 2050, which would improve public health and the economy.
Air pollution in Pakistan, particularly in urban areas, is wreaking havoc on the economy. It is estimated that sustainable development policies could further reduce GHG emissions by 53%, which would lead to cost savings in emission control costs of approximately 0.32% of GDP by 2050.
