While addressing the US-led Leaders Summit in Washington, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin reiterated Pakistan’s goal to reach the target of 60 percent clean energy consumption by 2030. Pakistan has set itself quite an ambitious target.

Many may see it impossible given the years we are left with. However, we have made some appreciable inroads into the field through projects such as the Thar solar park. Similarly, the government is working on erecting more hydroelectric setups. Pakistan grapples with the challenges of a large and growing population, combined with rapidly growing energy needs.

Our primary energy mix comprises natural gas, oil, hydropower, coal and nuclear energy. Natural gas accounts for the lion’s share of the energy mix. Likewise, the share of oil in the total primary energy supply has risen consistently since 2006, representing 36 percent in 2016.

Our over-reliance on existing power consumption sources on sustainable methods show that we have yet to work on alternatives on this front. The sooner Pakistan drops the oil and gas power plants, the better it will be for the environment and national exchequer. Instead, it is better to invest in renewable energy sources and infrastructure.

Besides, Pakistan also assured the world in the summit that it would shift its transport system to 30 percent electric vehicles by 2030. While the government had approved the country’s first five-year Electric Vehicle (EV) policy last December, the pricing of electric cars is still too high in international markets, Pakistan is likely to be no different.

This means that the average citizen might not shift to electric transportation anytime soon. Additionally, the slow pace of work on developing charging infrastructure needs to be expedited. Establishing a network of charging infrastructure is key to the fast adoption of electric vehicles. As said earlier, the targets are grand. Nonetheless, they are achievable. In this regard, Pakistan must seek assistance from global leaders in the field, such as Germany which is one of the most advanced countries in both renewable energy and electric transportation.