Experts and speakers of the seminar while highlighting the importance of alternate energy efficient technologies in climate change adaptation 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.

Experts discussed ‘climate change as a global phenomenon that is likely to impact almost every sector of Pakistan’s economy, at a seminar on “Climate Change Adaptation through Promotion of Alternate and Energy Efficient Technologies in Pakistan” organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here on Monday. The speakers include Dr. Mahmood A. Khwaja, Senior Advisor, SDPI,Ahmed Nadeem Siddiqui, Director, National Institute of Electronics Project, Munawar A.Sheikh, , Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technology, PCRET, Col.Rashid Iqbal Ansari, Deputy Commandant, EME, Javeriya Hasan, Research Associate, SDPI, Anusha Sherazi, Project Associate, SDPI, Mr.Babar Khan, National Integrated and Development Association (NIDA) Pakistan, Besham, Kohistan, Mr.Bakht Muhammad, Sahara Welfare Foundation (SWF), Malakand and Mr. Abdul Rasheed Khan, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Science and Technology who chaired the seminar andconducted the proceedings.

Dr. Khwaja set the background by telling that 86% 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 stresses the need to focus on much overlooked area of climate change impacts, that is its effects on chemicals characteristics & transport. He said that enhanced evaporation and volatilization of chemicals, results in increased air pollution and a rise in airborne diseases. He suggested ways to combat climate change by cutting short green house emission, reduction in reliance on fossil fuels and incorporating mitigation and adaptation strategies, having particularly focus on energy (alternate and its efficient use). He strongly recommended developing a “National Adaptation Program of Action,” specific to all focus areas including energy.

Col Rashid Iqbal 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. He also showed concerns over non-implementation of policy steps underlined for enhancements of renewable energy, mentioned in Power Generation Policy of 2002, like exemption of income tax and wavier from various duties.

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. He also announced future projects of PCRET to enhance wind and solar energies to 5% of installed resources in Pakistan by 2020. He also mentioned electrification of 70,000 households in far flung marginalized area’s of Pakistan and replacing disel with bio diesel products.

Ahmad Nadeem Siddiqui compared the energy efficiency of ordinary bulb, energy saver, LED composed efficient energy bulbs. He was of the view the Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) has power efficiency of above 80% as 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.

Javeria Hassan cited current consumption patterns which are causing depletion of non-renewable sources of energy, pollution, 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.

Anusha Sherazi gave detailed presentation on Energy Efficient Cooking Stoves (EECS) that is a new climate change adaptation technology and a good replacement of traditional stoves which have energy efficiency of only 6.5 % and have become a threat to forest degradation and increased firewood consumption. She said that energy efficient cooking stoves lessens the risk of eye and res¬piratory problems, improves air quality, keeps homes warmer in the winter and have overall better temperature control and reducing the women and children’s’ workload of collecting firewood for cooking and heating. These cook stoves are cost effective, involves local material , can be mass produced and can reduce family’s fuel need by upto 30-40 percent.

Representing local CBOs, Mr.Bakht Muhammad described the efforts of Sahara Welfare Foundation to promote energy efficient devices and stoves to mitigate green house gases in underdeveloped rural districts of Malakand. Mr. Babar Khan highlighted the awareness raising workshops organized by NIDA Pakistan, another CBO, on climate change adaptation, protection of environmental health, introduction of environment smoke less stoves to improve livelihood and environmental condition of communities in Pallas, Besham, Kohistan