GLOBAL warming has now been tagged as global boiling due to which economies, communities, states, societies and political systems are under existential threat of elimination around the world. It has now become a serious issue of even peaceful and prosperous human survival, bio-diversity and green living on this earth. Although there has been a new concept of Climate Justice to help the most affected countries of the developing countries but, somehow, global unity and lack of joint efforts are still badly missing creating devastating consequences for the world.
In this regard, the member countries of the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) are trying their best to chalk out a roadmap to tackle and seek effective means to achieve sustainable development. The third Research Conference of the Central Asian Institute for Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) under the theme “Inclusive Green Growth and Sustainability Prospects in Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC)” has commenced. It is timely, holistic, comprehensive covering all aspects of green growth in these countries.
It is hoped that a number of experts and scholars from the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation member states will delve into various aspects of green growth and sustainability, examine the challenges, explore innovative solutions and discuss how CAREC member states can achieve green and sustainable development in the face of global climate change. Obviously, Central Asia countries are also facing severe consequences of climate change due to which lots of diversified but integrated diplomatic efforts have also been initiated to further strengthen mutual cooperation in green energy.
In this connection, renewables (wind, solar) , green energy (blue/hydrogen power generation), lithium batteries and last but not the least, electric vehicles have become new modes of energy production and efficiency in these countries. Interestingly, the CAREC Institute President Kabir Giurazoda while delivering a keynote speech at the opening ceremony, rightly urged the need of tackling climate change, ensuring sustainable economic growth and promoting inclusive development in the region and around the globe. He termed institutionalization of green growth and sustainable solutions vital to mitigate the increasing and spillover socio-economic and repercussions of global climate change on the environment and society. Thus green energy, green cooperation and green growth has been declared the antidote for the looming threat of climate change.
Moreover, Bai Chengzhou, Deputy Director of the Asian Development Bank Institute, stressed that development must be sustainable and integrated which should be achieved at grassroots level by involving all stakeholders pertaining to the environment, social and economic sectors. The member states of CAREC are facing the challenges of climate change and economic development due to which there is great potential for green cooperation in the region which will also facilitate the achievement of the desired goals of socio-economic development and economic stability & sustainability he further added. Thus green growth will be positive, productive and participatory for the entire region in the days to come. He said that the convening of this meeting is very timely and the theme fits the current situation.
The ADB in Central and West Asia, Regional Cooperation and Integration Director Rayalisa Sabirova said that climate change is creating a serious impact in the world. In her speech, she cited examples of climate change already taking place today, including massive flooding in Pakistan, drought in Afghanistan and irrigation water shortage faced by many Central Asian countries. Rayalisa Sabirova advises that we need to shift to cleaner and sustainable energy sources and sustainable agriculture, in order to strengthen the green and sustainable development of the CAREC region
Piao Zhishui, chief economist of the Asian Development Bank, also delivered the keynote speech highlighting the economic development prospects of CAREC countries and analyzing the current situation of CAREC countries in the global transition to net zero emissions. He rightly rates Asia as a special stakeholder in the global climate crisis because the region is vulnerable to climate change and will be important to achieving the goals of the “Paris Agreement”. He further noted that developing Asia has ample opportunities to accelerate its transformation through price reforms, regulatory improvements and a focus on equity.
In summary, climate change has become a serious non-state threat to the region, world and humanity at large. It is hoped that COP28 will achieve joint response on the burning issues of climate justice for the developing countries, receipt of promised pledges from the industrialized countries and last but not the least, consensus on achieving the goals of reduction in carbon footnotes and carbon neutrality in the world.
According to many published reports of the Asian Development Bank and many regional organizations, the looming threat of climate change may be controlled through joint regional cooperation in green energies. The survival of states, societies and systems are based on the rigorous green growth in all the regional countries of Central Asia. It is a good omen that most of the regional countries have already started green energy cooperation. There is an urgent need to have green energy transformation in these countries protecting their economies, communities and environment. Undoubtedly, the future belongs to green growth which should be translated and transmitted in national policies of these countries in which ADB and CRAEC should play an important role.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Islamabad.
