UK announces support for seven climate change projects in Pakistan

This aerial photograph taken on August 3, 2024, shows a settlement along the banks of a canal at Khan Muhammad Mallah village in Main Nara Valley, Dadu district of Sindh province. (AFP/File)

• Initiatives include solar farms, electric bikes, reducing emissions and converting agricultural waste to energy 
• Global organizations, such as the UN, see Pakistan as one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change

ISLAMABAD: The United Kingdom will support seven climate change projects in Pakistan including building solar farms and using AI to reduce emissions, the British High Commission said on Friday.
Global organizations, such as the United Nations, see Pakistan as one of the countries most vulnerable to extreme weather and climate change, with floods wreaking havoc in 2022, killing more than 1,700 people and displacing millions.
“Projects building floating solar farms, using Artificial Intelligence to reduce emissions, converting agricultural waste into clean energy sources, and building zero-emission electric motorbikes will receive UK specialist support,” the British High Commission said on Friday. 
The support will be provided through the Climate Finance Accelerator (CFA), a £12.6 million technical assistance program funded by International Climate Finance, a UK government commitment to support developing countries respond to the challenges and opportunities of climate change.
The projects will get one-on-one specialist support, including on financial, gender equality and social inclusion issues to strengthen proposals for secure funding from investors.
The projects include building a 500MW floating solar project in Keenjhar Lake that will generate clean energy and reduce fossil fuel dependence. Another project will offer an AI-powered platform to reduce emissions while the Quintech Sciences project will focus on eco and health-conscious segments. 
The biochar project will help convert agricultural waste into biochar, a stable solid, rich in carbon that is made from organic waste material or biomass that is partially combusted in the presence of limited oxygen. The project aims to boost crop yields and reduce the reliance on synthetic fertilizers. The Vlektra project will aim to enhance the production capacity of the zero-emission electric bikes.
Finally, the Pakistan Environment Trust project will transform agricultural waste into a clean energy source for industries while a state-of-the-art facility will also be established to produce Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (R-PET) resin to reduce the need for plastic and lower carbon footprint.
Speaking about the support, British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said the range of the projects depicted Pakistan’s climate leadership at its best. 
“It is also an example of the UK working in partnership with Pakistan to find home-grown solutions to tackle big issues,” she said in a statement. “I look forward to seeing how these proposals progress on the international stage and wish them the very best.”