Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on Climate Change passed the Pakistan Climate Change Bill, 2016 on the condition that amendments from MNA Murad Saeed of PTI would be incorporated.

The committee met under its chairman Dr Hafeez Drishak and later on during his absence, under committee member Maiza Hameed.

The majority of the members passed the Pakistan Climate Change Bill, 2016. During the discussion, a heated exchange took place between Murad Saeed and Climate Change Minister Zahid Hamid. Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency Director General Farzana Altaf Shah blamed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for not stopping stone- crushing in their side of Margalla hills. However, later on, Saeed told the committee that he would like to go through the proposed legislation and would reveal his point of view on the same later on. The climate change minister agreed.

Zahid Hamid said that under the Pakistan Climate Change Bill, 2016, Pakistan Climate Change Authority would be constituted to perform functions assigned to it under the act and the rules and regulations would be made there under. The authority would be a corporate body and will be extended to the whole of Pakistan. Through it the Pakistan Climate Change Authority will be established under the guidance of a high-powered Pakistan Climate Change Council (chaired by the Prime Minister and with representation from all Provinces, including the Chief Ministers) to provide a framework for mitigating and adapting to the effect of the changing climate on various sectors of the economy and developing response strategies to the effects of climate change.

The proposed authority will also identify and supervise the transfer of appropriate technology, including renewable technology, and strengthen capacity-building measures. The Bill also establishes a Pakistan Climate Change Fund, managed by a Board. Money from the fund will be utilised to meet expenses of both the Authority and the Fund itself and for financial assistance to suitable adaptation and mitigation projects and measures designed inter-alia to combat the adverse effects of climate change. The Bill has been developed with the support and participation of various governmental and non-governmental stakeholders in the climate change arena.

Members who attended the meeting are Malik Ihtebar Khan,Salman Hanif, Shahnaz Saleem, Maiza Hameed, Murad Saeed, Mussarat Ahmed Zeb, Abdul Qahar Khan,  Naeema Kishwer Khan and Minister for Climate Change.