Speakers addressing at a seminar ‘Climate Change Adaptation through Promotion of Alternate and Energy Efficient Technologies in Pakistan’ highlighted importance of alternate energy efficient technologies.

Experts discussed climate change as a global phenomenon that is likely to impact almost every sector of Pakistan’s economy and stressed the need to create awareness about changing climate scenarios, use of energy efficient devices, cut in fossil fuel consumption, reduction in green house emission, promote sustainable consumption and implement mitigation and adaptation strategies to cope with climate change and its negative impacts.

Addressing on the occasion Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) Senior Advisor Dr Khwaja set the background by telling that 86 percent of world energy is produced through fossil fuel, that translate into mass production of green house gases which are major cause of climate change. He described various impacts of climate change including surface warming, frequency, intensity of heat waves, drought, storms, floods and salinity. These impacts create vulnerabilities to ecological and human systems. He strongly recommended developing a ‘National Adaptation Program of Action,’ specific to all focus areas including energy.

Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technology (PCRET) Munawar A Sheikh introduced various renewable energy products produced by PCRET like silicon wafer, Solar Cells, PV modules, solar light, lanterns, biogas and hydel energy interventions.

EME Deputy Commandant Colonel Rashid Iqbal Ansari expressed that alternate means of energy production be introduced to tackle the growing energy crisis. He said that energy supply deficit ratio stands at 25 % in Fiscal year 2010, and if proper measures not adopted it would shoot to 54% in fy 2020, which will be virtually an energy death for Pakistan. He lamented that renewable energy has only 2 % of the installed capacity in Pakistan and with current progress it would only improve to 3 % in year 2020.

National Institute of Electronics Project Director Ahmad Nadeem Siddiqui compared the energy efficiency of ordinary bulb; energy saver and LED composed efficient energy bulbs. He was of the view the Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) has power efficiency of above 80 percent compared to mercury bulb (which when broken emits hazardous and toxic mercury vapors) and ordinary energy saver. He was optimistic that LED bulb would replace energy savers in next 15 years.

SDPI Research Associate Javeria Hassan cited current consumption patterns, which are causing depletion of non-renewable sources of energy, pollution, and waste, degradation of soil, water and forests. She urged the need to promote sustainable consumption by applying informative instruments like price incentives/ regulatory pressures (interventions), behavior change, energy conservation, awareness raising and media involvement and frame policy framework on rational electricity tariff, promotion of energy efficient appliances, energy security and controlling the population growth rate.

SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Suleri concluded the debate by appreciating organizing the seminar on such an important subject and encouraged more research to make it feasible, adoptable and implement able.