Capacity building on enabling an environment for GHG emission reduction and on low emission urban development with environment-friendly technologies: Focus on environment and living condition upgrading in urban slum areas in Karachi

Pakistan is one of the countries signatory to the Kyoto Protocol and to the Paris Agreement. As one of the recommendations of the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) for Pakistan capacity enhancement of government institutions – mainly the Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) and related organizations – to appropriately respond to the emerging threats of climate change at the policy and programme levels was identified. Moreover, the National Climate Change Policy of 2012 is Pakistan’s guiding document on climate change, setting out the goal of achieving climate-resilient development for the country by mainstreaming climate change in the economically and socially vulnerable sectors of the country.

UN-Habitat and the Ministry of Climate Change initated a project on ‘Capacity building on enabling an environment for GHG emission reduction and on low emission urban development with environment-friendly technologies: Focus on environment and living condition upgrading in urban slum areas in Karachi in collaboration with  South Korea East-West Power Company (EWP) and embarked on exploring possibilities that foster sustainable development through the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The project was financed by the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and thus follows the CDM methodology. The CDM project had two main objectives: 1) to assist developing countries in achieving sustainable development, and 2) to help developed countries fulfil their commitments of reducing GHG emissions. In addition, the donor is well aware of the fundamental change from Kyoto Protocol to Paris Agreement, as the Paris Agreement focuses more on a cooperative and non-market approach, which considers the needs of the recipient countries.

The project was to strengthen capacities of national government, local institutions, and local communities to promote climate change mitigation and adaptation, especially to implement on emission-reduction or emission-limitation commitment under the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement in Pakistan.

The specific objectives of this project were as follows:

1. To raise awareness and capacity of national and local government officials and local community on climate change mitigation and adaptation, especially GHG emission reduction processes under the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement in Pakistan
2. To create an enabling environment for the implementation of GHG emission reductions, including policy interventions (dialogues)
3. To develop pilot projects in Karachi for demonstration of GHG emission reduction for city-wide and/or national replication and scale up
4. To identify the appropriate GHG emission reduction technology and review its feasibility for the pilot projects