Daily Times

Minister of State for climate change, Zartaj Gul, on Monday, warned traders to stop using polythene bags since heavy fines would be imposed on traders using polythene and plastic shopping bags after August 14.

In her address at an awareness session arranged by Climate Launchpad, Gul claimed that Islamabad Capital Territory would be made plastic-free till August 14, this year. To ensure the implementation of this decision, she added, heavy fines would be imposed on the violators after the due date.

She maintained that in light of the importance of climate change, the government had, for the first time in the history of Pakistan, allocated Rs 7.2 billion for the billion tree project and Rs 2 billion for the Clean and Green Pakistan project.

The minister noted Pakistan was facing floods, food security problems and water shortage due to climate change.

More than 3,000 people had lost their lives till now, due to the heat wave in Karachi, Gul added.

The state minister talked about the negative impacts of climate change and support for sustainable industrial development through innovation and invention as the need of the hour.

Minister warns violators of hefty fines after due date

A clean and green future demanded thousands of innovations that challenge current business models, she asserted while adding that investing in ideas and entrepreneurs was the way to go about it.

Climate Launchpad is the world’s leading green business ideas competition being organised in Pakistan for the first time in 2019.

The competition welcomes innovations in renewable energy, energy efficiency, food and agriculture, water, transportation, industrial technology or any other way to tackle climate change.

Dutch Ambassador to Pakistan, Braken said on the occasion, “I urge all the stakeholders not to forget women in stimulating the innovation mitigating and adapting climate change in Pakistan.”

Gul also urged the public to support the government to make Islamabad plastic-free and avoid the use of polythene bags.

Islamabad would be the first plastic-free city across the world after August 14, she maintained.