SCP Context
Pakistan National Context for SCP and Connection to the Global Agenda
Pakistan has participated in global sustainable development processes and is set to present its first Voluntary National Review (VnR) at the 2019 High-level Political Forum (HLPF). Sustainable consumption and production (SCP) is recognized in the framework of “green” development which will be decoupling economic growth and social development from environmental degradation, thus strengthening the sustainability and resilience of a society. With the National Action Plan on Sustainable Consumption and Production (NAP-SCP, 2017), Pakistan has given a high priority to SDG 12 and to mainstreaming sustainable consumption and production into other SDGs. The NAP-SCP aims to accelerate the shift towards SCP in all sectors. In addition, Pakistan’s Sustainable Building and Cities Action Plan recognizes the specific trend of rapid urbanization. Cooperation with the European Union has continued over more than a decade to promote the shift to sustainable consumption and production through SWITCH-Asia utilising the Grants Programme, which since 2009 has made possible four projects aimed at energy efficiency, resources efficiency in the cotton supply chain and other industries. Currently, the programme supports the implementation of resource and energy efficient technologies in Pakistan’s sugar sector. The ‘Pakistan National Action Plan on SDG 12 SCP’ was developed and launched in 2017 with the support of the SWITCH-Asia Programme I and its Regional Policy Support Component.
Challenges
- Pakistan is the fastest urbanizing country in South Asia. By 2030, Pakistan is going to be predominantly urbanized (50% of the population is projected to live in cities by 2030). This trend is likely to increase the already existing urban problems (urban flooding due to drainage problems, traffic congestion, unemployment, lack of adequate housing and basic services e.g. health, water, and sanitation). Emerging urban challenges include rapidly growing waste streams such as electronic waste, waste plastics. Used oils and chemicals require special attention and higher recovery rates.
- Capacity of the relevant institutions to effectively address the future emerging urban challenges.
- Accelerated industrial growth and urbanization caused environmental challenges, such as toxic air and water pollution, and hazardous solid waste.
- Energy scarcity in Pakistan is one of the most critical challengesfor its sustainable socio-economic development. The electricity shortage causes an annual loss of 4-7% in GDP and 2% reduction in real GDP growth. The inefficient energy infrastructure, energy theft and transmission and distribution losses are major factors in contributing to the widening gap of energy supply and demand.
- Governance: overlapping institutional mandates, the lack of concrete targets, and the absence of effective enforcement results in the inadequate implementation of master plans and legislation.
- Difficulties in attracting the much-needed investment into “green” technologies and industries.
- Large parts of the population (60%) are food insecure, leading to decreased productivity.
Priorities
- The NAP-SCP defines 10 priorities as action areas for SCP and resources efficiency: Industry, Sustainable Cities, Marine Ecosystem, Land Ecosystem, Climate Change, Sustainable Transport, Energy, Water, Education, Sustainable Food System.
- Sustainable cities and upgrading human settlements: Enhancing the capacity of relevant institutions for sustainable, smart and green cities planning and management, adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, waste prevention and higher material recovery rates, as well as protection and maintenance of heritage sites and historical buildings.
- Green spaces:preventing encroachment of fertile agricultural and forest land, increasing green spaces and initiating projects for greening road network to enhance air quality.
- Enhancing the involvement of private sectorin the delivery of SCP, attracting investment and blended finance solutions.
- Designing and enforcing a strategy for waste management(solid waste, liquid waste, industrial waste, hazardous waste).
- Explore opportunities implied by digitization and industry 4.0.
Opportunities
- SWITCH Asia can help address Pakistan’s future emerging urban challenges by strengthening and equipping possible institutional drivers which can help deliver the NAP-SCPand the suggested policy enablers and actions that could translate SCP into projects on the ground.
- Continue strengthening the interdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder dialogue in support of NAP-SCP implementation.
- Provide capacity building and facilitate access to financial and technical assistanceand dissemination of information and knowledge on SCP principles.
- Conclude studies in support of Pakistan’s SCP priorities, e.g., assessing quantities and characteristics of waste streams.
- Advocate for increasing the public spending on (agricultural) research and development (R&D)to seek attract investment from Pakistan’s with wealth abroad.
- Support the paradigm shift required to provide incentives from low value to high value products and internalization of environmental costs into pricing mechanismswith increased resource use efficiency in the value chain.
SWITCH-Asia Activities
2018
SCP Facility
- Preliminary assessment of SCP related policies, activities, needs/gaps, and opportunities.
Regional Policy Advocacy Component (RPAC)
Facilitated the participation of Pakistani key-stakeholders in the following regional/ sub-regional activities:
- Asia Pacific Low Carbon Lifestyles Challenge (19-22 Mar 2018), hosted by Thailand, regional level
- Transforming Asia Pacific: Innovative Solutions, Circular Economy and Low Carbon Lifestyles (17-19 Sep 2018), hosted by Thailand, regional level
- Asian Circular Economy Leadership Academy (3-8 Dec 2018), hosted by Thailand, regional level
2019
SCP Facility
- Government point of contact for SWITCH-Asia officially addressed a specific request for support in the implementation of the national Green Buildings Code, waste management and plastics, and SDG12 Reporting.
- New concept note developed on i) Green buildings and ii) Waste management and plastics developed and agreed on.
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Regional Policy Advocacy Component (RPAC)
Facilitated the participation of Pakistani key-stakeholders in the following regional/ sub-regional activities:
- “Sustainability Reporting – Thinking Circular Economy by Businesses” - This event was organised back-to-back with 2019 Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (27 Mar 2019), hosted by Thailand, regional level
- Businesses Accelerating Inclusive Green Economies – "Leaving No One Behind” - Side event on the Responsible Business and Human Rights Forum co-organised by the Royal Thai Government, OECD, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), ESCAP, International Labour Organization (ILO) and with the participation of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights (11 Jun 2019), hosted by Thailand, regional level
- WEBINAR: SDG 12.1 Reporting for SWITCH-Asia Countries – Connecting the dots between actions and reporting (5 Nov 2019), regional level
- Policy Dialogue on SDG12 Reporting (21 Nov 2019), hosted by Vietnam, regional level
- 2019 SWITCH-Asia Leadership Academy on Circular Economy (2-6 Dec 2019), hosted by China, regional level
- "Supporting decision making on SCP through training on Sustainable Procurement” - This event was organised back-to-back with International Conference on Sustainable Energy and Green Technology 2019 (11 Dec 2019, hosted by Thailand, regional level
2020
SCP Facility
- Assignment activities and deliverables for both assignments were developed and for each two experts recruited and launched in second quarter of 2020:
- Waste assignment seeks to raise awareness and increase efficiency on waste management, particularly plastics
- Building assignment seeks to integrate SCP considerations into the Green Buildings Code development already initiated in Pakistan
- Assignments delivered scoping studies, multi-stakeholder workshops and policy recommendations
Regional Policy Advocacy Component (RPAC)
- The RPAC has provided technical support to Pakistan for developing a monitoring and reporting framework for SDG 12 to strengthen reporting of Pakistan’s progress in achieving Goal 12
Facilitated the participation of Pakistani key-stakeholders in the following regional/ sub-regional activities:
- SWITCH2Green Meeting - RPAC initiated the discussion and shared the first report in 2020. (Apr 2020)
- Moving the Needle on Climate Change – The event was co-organised by the UNESCAP as a part of the 2020 Virtual United Nations Responsible Business and Human Right Forum (RBHRF) (10 Jun 2020), regional level
- World Environment Day 2020 – A media kit was provided to call for action to promote SCP as a part of the 2020 World Environment Day (WED) celebration (5-7 Jun 2020), regional level
- Intervention in regional forum: Webinar on Sustainable Lifestyles for Plastics & Packaging Waste Management During a Pandemic COVID-19 (6 Aug 2020), regional level
- SCP in Tourism: Opportunities and Challenges with COVID-19 (8 Oct 2020), regional level
- Innovation and Connectivity through Farm to Fork (13 Nov 2020), regional level
- Sustainable Lifestyles for SCP (19 Nov 2020), hosted by Thailand, regional level
- Sub-regional Workshop on SPP for SACEP Countries (25 November 2020), the event was organised in partnership with South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) for South Asia region, Sub-regional level
- Support to Steering Committee of SWITCH-Asia (3 Dec 2020)– RPAC provided support for the annual Steering Committee Meeting and proposed 2021 workplan, regional level
- Regional Policy Dialogue on Circular Cities (4 Dec 2020), regional level
- Regional Dialogue Driving Mechanisms for Eco-Design in Asia (9 Dec 2020), regional level
- Leadership Academy on Circular Economy 2020 (14-18 Dec 2020), regional level
- Webinar: Innovations & Startups (16 Dec 2020), regional level
2021
SCP Facility
- Assignments finalised deliverables and discussed results in two final workshops (March 2021, Green Buildings; May 2021 Plastics and Waste), with important contributions by selected stakeholders and government representatives.
- Development of Green Building Code in Pakistan › Resource Library | SWITCH-Asia
- Policy and Action on Waste and Plastics in Pakistan › Resource Library | SWITCH-Asia
Regional Policy Advocacy Component (RPAC)
- Federal Consultative Roundtable Dialogue on Reporting and Monitoring of SDG 12 in Pakistan (18 Jan 2021) - to present the draft report proposing a framework for SDG 12 monitoring and reporting in Pakistan to strengthen national reporting on Goal 12.
- World Environment Day 2021 (5 June 2021) – Webinar on “Ecosystem Restoration in Sustainable Consumption and Production Context” to highlight linkages between ecosystem restoration and principles of SCP and strengthening a dialogue on green economy and SCP in Pakistan.
Facilitated the participation of Pakistani key-stakeholders in the following regional/ sub-regional activities:
- Contextualising the Circular Economy for Action (4 Feb 2021), regional level
- Technology for Circular Economy: A Prologue to the 2021 SWITCH-Asia Leadership Academy (25 March 2021), regional level
- Circular Economy and Sustainable Lifestyles Course (18 May 2021) – launch of offline course on SCP for policy makers and young professionals, regional level
- South Asia Policy Dialogue on the Role of Businesses in Accelerating SCP (23 March 2021) – to disseminate the findings of the RPAC Study on SCP – Stocktaking of Perspectives in South Asian Business, sub regional level
- GO4SDGs High level launch in Asia and the Pacific (21 April 2021), regional level
- World Environment Day 2021 (4 June 2021), regional level
2022
SCP Facility
- Green buildings assignment carried on, focused on developing specific parts of Pakistan Social Housing Programme as piloting for green building code.
