Energy is important to almost every major challenge the world suffers today. Whether employment, security, climate change, food production, or increasing incomes, access to energy is essential.
Crucial progress has been achieved in recent years in Pakistan, but the country is still lagging in meeting energy targets set in the United Nations SDGs for 2030. The energy demand is persistently increasing in Pakistan as the country proceeds to develop its industry, agriculture, real estate, and transportation sector.
According to a recent German Watch Report of the Long-Term Global Climate Risk Index 2020, Pakistan is the 8th most vulnerable country to the adverse impacts of climate change (The News, 2021).
The proliferating urbanisation and non-renewable energy resources such as coal, oil, and natural gas are the major causes of environmental issues. However, Pakistan focuses on increasing its long-term strategic energy planning process by working on green, long-term, and low-cost energy resources.
It refers to all renewable energy resources such as sun, wind, hydropower, geothermal energy and biofuels, such as biodiesel, bioethanol, biohydrogen, bio-oil and biogas. Such initiatives play a significant role in promoting environmental productivity and sustainability.
Energy is crucial to the socio-economic development of a country. However, Pakistan proceeds to formulate efforts toward renewable energy endeavours. The government should decrease its dependence on imported fuel and increase its untapped renewable energy potential in hydro, solar, and wind.
The country’s power sector is dependent on imported fuel-based power generation and is hampered by a stressed transmission and distribution network. Therefore, a holistic approach is needed to fully utilise the renewable energy potential to achieve a sustainable energy future for the country.
Investment in renewable energy resources offers several benefits, including lower fuel and electricity costs, increased grid reliability, better air quality, and public health. Renewable energy also supports job creation in a country and is relatively more labour-intensive than fossil-fuel technologies.
The major benefit of renewable energy is its contribution to Pakistan’s clean and green future. Due to the increasing global warming, disruptive events such as droughts, heatwaves, intense storms, and wildfires will be expected to increase, escalating the need to expand renewable energy resources for a clean and resilient future.
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