The Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) organized a Public Talk titled, “Climate Change: Energy Strategies for Mitigation,” on November 26, 2019 under its Distinguished Lecture Series. Ambassador Shafqat Kakakhel, former UN Assistant Secretary General and Chairperson of the Board at Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), was the guest speaker at the occasion.
Welcoming the speaker and guests, Director General ISSI, Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said that the topic of the public talk is very important, especially for Pakistan which is the eighth most affected country by climate change. He informed the guests that this year, the Institute has organized two events on energy issues of Pakistan and one on climate change. Ambassador Chaudhry said that while everyone is convinced that climate change is a reality, what is needed is urgent adaptation actions without compromising the country’s development needs and goals. Three aspects are important in this regard: reduce domestic emissions from all sectors; encourage local adaptation strategies to deal with the impacts involving local stakeholders; and work with international support, such as through the Green Climate Fund. Mitigating the impacts of climate change is one side of the story. Living with the impacts is another. Ignoring the impacts of climate change is no longer an option.
