PESHAWAR, Jul 24 (APP):Transparency International Pakistan (TI Pakistan), in collaboration with the Office of the Speaker, Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, convened a high-level parliamentary consultation in Peshawar to advance governance and legislative readiness for carbon markets. During the meeting, TI Pakistan presented its Legislative Roadmap for Strengthening Carbon Markets Governance, outlining key legal and institutional reforms required to establish a transparent, accountable, and credible carbon market framework in Pakistan. …
Parliamentary Dialogue on strengthening carbon markets governance in KP held
PESHAWAR, Jul 24 (APP):Transparency International Pakistan (TI Pakistan), in collaboration with the Office of the Speaker, Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, convened a high-level parliamentary consultation in Peshawar to advance governance and legislative readiness for carbon markets.
During the meeting, TI Pakistan presented its Legislative Roadmap for Strengthening Carbon Markets Governance, outlining key legal and institutional reforms required to establish a transparent, accountable, and credible carbon market framework in Pakistan.
Kashif Ali, Executive Director, TI Pakistan, briefed the parliamentarians on the proposed roadmap, highlighting four priority areas: enactment of a comprehensive Carbon Markets Framework Act; clear legal provisions on the ownership and transfer of carbon credits and Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs); establishment of a national
Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system and National Emission baseline, aligned with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement; and mandatory benefit-sharing, community safeguards, Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), and
effective grievance redress mechanisms for carbon market projects.
The consultation was chaired by Asif Khan Mehsud, Convener, SDGs Taskforce, who emphasized that a strong legislative framework is essential to ensure carbon markets contribute to Pakistan’s climate commitments and sustainable development goals.
Ahmad Kamal, Additional Secretary Development, Climate Change, Forestry, Environment, and Wildlife KP highlighted Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s significant forest resources and stressed the need to strengthen institutional capacity, technical expertise, and investment to unlock the province’s carbon market potential.
Daud Shah Afridi, Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Energy and Power, noted that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa can build on the success of its afforestation efforts to attract climate finance while ensuring transparency, accountability, and sustainable development.
The consultation brought together parliamentarians from across the political spectrum, including Johar Muhammad, Zahidullah Khan, Daud Shah Afridi, Anwar Zeb Khan, Shah Abu Turab, Aurangzeb Khan, Gul Ibrahim, Abdul Salam Afridi, Sharafat Ali, Muhammad Riaz, Iftikhar Ali Mashwani, Sher Ali Afridi, Arbab Muhammad Usman Khan, Arbab Zarak Khan, Ali Hadi, Ms. Mehr Sultana, Ms. Farah Khan, Ms. Jamila Paracha, Ms. Naheeda Noor, Mr. Gurpal Singh, Mr. Arshad Ahmed, Commissioner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Commission and others.
Technical perspectives were provided by Hamza Rafay Butt, Climate and Nature Finance Expert, and Syed Bulent Sohail, Managing Partner, Sohail & Partners, who highlighted Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s comparative advantages in carbon markets and identified key governance and regulatory gaps that require legislative attention.
Justice (R) Zia Perwez, Chairman, TI Pakistan, underscored the importance of sustained parliamentary leadership to ensure carbon markets are governed with transparency, accountability, and integrity.
He emphasized that a robust legal framework will enable Pakistan to attract high-quality climate finance while safeguarding public interest and maximizing benefits for local communities.
