{"id":20062793,"date":"2020-12-16T19:43:20","date_gmt":"2020-12-16T14:13:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thethirdpole.net\/?p=62793"},"modified":"2021-02-15T19:28:11","modified_gmt":"2021-02-15T13:58:11","slug":"scrapping-imported-coal-projects-pakistan-fails-to-let-go-of-local-lignite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/energy\/scrapping-imported-coal-projects-pakistan-fails-to-let-go-of-local-lignite\/","title":{"rendered":"Scrapping imported coal projects, Pakistan fails to let go of local lignite"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Pakistan\u2019s contribution was one of the few bright spots at the recently concluded virtual Climate Ambition Summit<\/a>. Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that two major coal projects would be scrapped and declared the country will have no more \u201cpower based on coal\u201d but instead build more hydropower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it became quickly apparent Khan\u2019s statement will not affect the over 7,000 MW of coal power the country has recently built or is in the pipeline under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. The two coal power projects mentioned had already been scrapped because of an earlier moratorium on using imported coal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a grim air at the summit, organised by Britain and France in partnership with Italy, Chile and the UN. The COP 26 president, UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma, reminded everyone that the world is still not on track to fulfil the 2015 Paris Agreement<\/a> of limiting the warming of the globe to 2 degrees Celsius. But there was no sense of a breakthrough on the horizon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By 2030, 60% of all energy produced will be clean energy, through renewables.<\/blockquote>Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan<\/cite><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

China committed to increase the share of non-fossil fuel in primary energy consumption to around 25% by 2030. India pushed back on demands to strengthen its Paris climate pledge<\/a>, though it did promise to more than double its renewable energy target. Though rich nations have emitted almost all the greenhouse gases that are now in the atmosphere, they are still nowhere near to keeping their promise of paying poor nations to combat climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Recommended<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/a>\n\n\n\n

In this situation, it was Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan\u2019s speech that won plaudits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After pointing out that Pakistan\u2019s \u201cglobal contribution to world emissions was less than 1%\u201d but it was the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change, Khan said \u201c\u2026we will have nature-based solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his short<\/a> intervention<\/a> Khan spoke of Pakistan\u2019s billion tree plantation<\/a> project and adding 15 national parks<\/a> to the current list of 30, which he said would help reduce the country\u2019s carbon footprint. He also announced, \u201cBy 2030, 60% of all energy produced will be clean energy, through renewables\u201d and \u201c30% of all our vehicles would be on electricity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The big announcement was the scrapping of two coal power projects, which were supposed to produce 2,600 megawatts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Struggle for a greener CPEC<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Malik Amin Aslam, minister and adviser to the prime minister on climate change, elaborated that the two coal projects were those using imported coal at Muzaffargarh and Rahim Yar Khan. Both were part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n