ISLAMABAD: The United Kingdom will support seven climate change projects in Pakistan including building solar farms and using AI to reduce emissions, the British High Commission said on Friday.
Global organizations, such as the United Nations, see Pakistan as one of the countries most vulnerable to extreme weather and climate change, with floods wreaking havoc in 2022, killing more than 1,700 people and displacing millions.
“Projects building floating solar farms, using Artificial Intelligence to reduce emissions, converting agricultural waste into clean energy sources, and building zero-emission electric motorbikes will receive UK specialist support,” the British High Commission said on Friday.
The support will be provided through the Climate Finance Accelerator (CFA), a £12.6 million technical assistance program funded by International Climate Finance, a UK government commitment to support developing countries respond to the challenges and opportunities of climate change.
The projects will get one-on-one specialist support, including on financial, gender equality and social inclusion issues to strengthen proposals for secure funding from investors.
The projects include building a 500MW floating solar project in Keenjhar Lake that will generate clean energy and reduce fossil fuel dependence. Another project will offer an AI-powered platform to reduce emissions while the Quintech Sciences project will focus on eco and health-conscious segments.
The biochar project will help convert agricultural waste into biochar, a stable solid, rich in carbon that is made from organic waste material or biomass that is partially combusted in the presence of limited oxygen. The project aims to boost crop yields and reduce the reliance on synthetic fertilizers. The Vlektra project will aim to enhance the production capacity of the zero-emission electric bikes.
Finally, the Pakistan Environment Trust project will transform agricultural waste into a clean energy source for industries while a state-of-the-art facility will also be established to produce Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (R-PET) resin to reduce the need for plastic and lower carbon footprint.
Speaking about the support, British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said the range of the projects depicted Pakistan’s climate leadership at its best.
“It is also an example of the UK working in partnership with Pakistan to find home-grown solutions to tackle big issues,” she said in a statement. “I look forward to seeing how these proposals progress on the international stage and wish them the very best.”
UK announces support for seven climate change projects in Pakistan
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UK announces support for seven climate change projects in Pakistan
- Initiatives include solar farms, electric bikes, reducing emissions and converting agricultural waste to energy
- Global organizations, such as the UN, see Pakistan as one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change
Pakistan PM’s aide urges parents to vaccinate children against polio in campaign starting Feb. 2
- Islamabad last year conducted six campaigns that reduced cases to 30 from 74 in 2024
- Pakistan targets more than 45 million children in first immunization campaign of 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan prime minister’s focal person for polio eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq on Saturday urged parents to ensure their children are vaccinated against the disease as the country gears up to launch the first nationwide immunization campaign of this year on Feb. 2, seeking to curb the spread of the virus.
Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. The only effective protection is through repeated vaccination for every child under five.
Pakistan aims to vaccinate more than 45 million children against polio during the first nationwide immunization drive of 2026, according to the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC).
The anti-polio campaign will be launched on Feb. 2 and run till Feb. 8. It will run simultaneously in Pakistan and Afghanistan, which are the only two countries where polio remains an endemic.
“Public cooperation is crucial for polio eradication,” Farooq said in a statement. “Parents must ensure that their children receive polio drops in every campaign.”
The NEOC last year conducted six nationwide campaigns against poliovirus in Pakistan, where cases came down from 74 in 2024 to 30 in 2025.
Farooq said more than 400,000 polio workers will go door-to-door to administer polio drops to children, urging communities to cooperate with vaccinators.
“Religious scholars and the media should play an effective role in polio awareness,” she added.
