Pakistan

A Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) partner since 2017, Pakistan has received support for activities in the bricks, household energy, agriculture, and waste sectors. In 2021, Pakistan started work with the CCAC on national planning for short-lived climate pollutant mitigation. 

In 2021, Pakistan submitted its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) indicating the intention to reduce up to 50% of projected emissions by 2030, with 15% from the country’s own resources and 35% subject to the provision of international grant finance. The updated NDCs included new areas of action for enhanced commitment, including short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) and air pollution. High priority mitigation options outlined in their updated NDCs include introducing clean cookstoves, controlling methane emissions from rice production, upgrading brick kilns to zig-zag technology, transitioning to Euro-5 emission standards, and promoting better manure storage and management in the livestock industry. 

The National Transport Policy of Pakistan, announced in 2018, outlines eight key policy objectives for the country’s transport sector, including fostering sustainable urban development and preserving the environment. Actions such as improving fuel standards, promoting sustainable modes of transport, and implementing a regulatory framework will be used to achieve these objectives. 

Pakistan joined the US- and EU-led Global Methane Pledge on October 11th, 2021, committing to the collective goal of reducing global methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030. The country aims to act on methane mitigation by moving towards using the best available inventory methodologies to quantify methane emissions, with a particular focus on their high emission sources.  

Pakistan is a focus country for the CCAC’s work to reduce black carbon emissions in the bricks sector. Together with the CCAC and ICIMOD (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development), the government is educating brick makers about cost-effective alternatives to traditional kiln technology that will simultaneously reduce emissions and produce health and agricultural benefits. In the past three years, over 7,000 conventional brick kilns have been converted into "zigzag" kilns, resulting in a 60% reduction in black carbon emissions, a 40% reduction in particulate matter emissions, and a 15% reduction in CO2 emissions.  

Together with the UN Environment Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP), the CCAC is carrying out activities in Pakistan to help reduce methane emissions from rice paddies. These activities will include country-specific scoping studies on SLCPs, developing Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Activities (NAMA) concepts and associated financial strategies, and preparing project proposals for low-emissions rice production. 

Waste generation and the related emissions from waste are expected to increase as Pakistan undergoes rapid urbanization. However, mitigation measures are already in place to help minimize negative impacts such as waste prevention, recycling, composting, and capturing methane emissions from landfills and wastewater. Learn more about Pakistan’s climate and clean air actions below.