Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam on Wednesday announced that Prime Minister Imran Khan would announce four key “Ecosystem Restoration Initiatives” (ERI) on World Environment Day.
The Prime Minister’s aide made the proclamation during a joint media interaction flanked by Special Representative of the Prime Minister on Religious Harmony Maulana Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi to apprise the journalist fraternity on celebrations to be held on World Environment Day 2021 as it was Pakistan’s honour to host global celebrations in recognition to its promising interventions for preserving ecosystem.
Amin said there would be two major events marked in connection with the global Environment Day in Pakistan on June 4th and 5th respectively. On June 4 the official launching of UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration would take place from the UN platform to be presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan, he added. The SAPM noted that global and religious leaders including United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Pope Francis among others would participate in the session.
“The main event in Pakistan will be held on June 5 (World Environment Day) in Jinnah Convention Centre where the official celebrations will be initiated by the Prime Minister and live streamed across the globe through official and social portals,” Amin Aslam told the journalists.
He said the key interventions included announcement of first billion trees plantation target achieved under the Prime Minister’s flagship Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Plantation (TBTTP) project, recent Bonn Challenge pledged after successful restoration of 0.3 million hectares of forest cover in Khyber Pakhtunhwa province under first Bonn Challenge pledged by the country, Protected Areas Initiative successfully establishing 15 National Parks along with marine protected area and finally Green Financing initiatives introduced by Pakistan at global foras for ecosystem restoration fund.
He added that Pakistan had taken the lead role in introducing green financing where for the first time in the country’s history US $ 500 million sovereign guarantee ‘Green Bonds’ was launched by Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) for two hydro power projects. Elaborating the Green Bonds financing, he said, “We (Pakistan) have approached a $1 trillion market that responded with a positive and keen interest in our Green Bonds and offered us US $ 3 million, six times more than our requested amount.”
