KARACHI: Hundreds of protesters marched from the Motani Jetty in Ibrahim Hyderi to the Karachi Electric power plant near the Pakistan Air Force base on Friday to urge the government to take concrete steps towards the reduction of coal and fossil fuels and demanded a just transition to clean energy.

The protest was organised by the Pakistan Fisher Folk Forum (PFF) where they demanded from the government to implement a permanent coal ban and end fossil fuel expansion in the country, which is a primary cause of environmental pollution and climate change.

“We call for a rapid and equitable phase-out of fossil fuels and a direct transition to 100 per cent renewable energy,” said PFF’s Senior Vice President Fatima Majeed.

“Developed countries, those with the biggest historical emissions, have the responsibility to deliver a fair and funded phase-out of fossil fuels so that countries such as Pakistan could tackle smog and environmental pollution. They have the means to mobilise trillions of dollars for urgent climate action domestically and internationally by ending fossil fuel subsidies, making big polluters pay, taxing the mega-rich and stopping funding for war and militarism,” she added.

“It is unacceptable that in the face of the intensifying climate crisis and despite a coal moratorium, Pakistan increased the share of coal in the electricity mix,” added a PFF leader Majeed Motani.

“We have a significant potential for renewable energy, like solar and wind energy. We should be accelerating the shift to renewable energy systems, but we are even expanding coal production and green lighting new gas projects. This will lock us into deeper fossil fuel dependence as well as intensifying smog and environmental pollution. The government needs to take concrete action to solve this problem,” Mr Motani added.

“Coal dependence is growing rapidly in Pakistan. The government has also recently hinted at switching back to local lignite coal of Tharparkar to offset the costs of imported coal. Environmentalists, however, have decried the growing reliance on fossil fuels to meet energy demands in the country,” expressed PFF’s Information Secretary Ayoub Shan.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2024