Pakistan faces high emissions from conventional construction, urban housing expansion: Sherry Rehman

ISLAMABAD, Dec 03 (APP):Chair of Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman, has called for an urgent national shift toward sustainable, circular, and climate-resilient construction.

She expressed these veiws while addressing the inaugural session of the 2nd edition of Pakistan Sustainability Summit and Awards in Islamabad on Wednesday.

Themed on “Sustainable Housing for Economic Resilience and Climate Smart Living”, the conference was organized by the Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) as an annual component of its National Climate Action Advocacy Programme.

Senator Sherry Rehman stressed that the core focus of the Summit must remain on sustainable construction, as Pakistan stands at a critical juncture in its climate and urbanization trajectory.

“Pakistan already has Green Building Codes, but implementation is extremely low. According to the Climate Risk Index 2025, Pakistan is the most climate-impacted country in the world,” she said.

Highlighting the urgency of reform, she noted that the industrial sector accounts for 38 per cent of Pakistan’s total energy-related CO2 emissions, and 49 per cent of national emissions come from the cement industry, making it essential to shift construction practices toward sustainability.

Senator Rehman underscored that Pakistan’s rapid urbanization—according to the World Urbanization Report, 39 percent of Pakistan’s population is urban, and when considering population density and concentration measures, this figure rises to 88 percent—with nearly 42 per cent of the country classified as peri-urban, demands a radical rethink of planning and growth models.

“Urbanization is happening fast, especially in peri-urban regions where expanding settlements now resemble towns. These communities lack proper waste disposal systems, which must be addressed immediately,” she emphasized.

She stressed that Pakistan is among the fastest urbanizing nations in Asia, making it imperative to embed sustainability into every tier of planning and construction.

Referring to the catastrophic 2022 floods, she reminded the audience that fragile and poorly located structures were wiped out within moments.

“A hotel collapsed in seconds during the 2022 floods. The question is: Why was construction allowed there? Shockingly, we saw the same failures again during the 2025 floods.

This shows the private sector still isn’t alarmed.” She called on the government to ensure strong and resilient infrastructure, warning that Pakistan cannot continue the dangerous practice of building on floodplains and stormwater paths.

Senator Rehman stressed the need for circular construction models, integrating reduce, reuse, and recycle principles into building codes.

“Our construction sector must move decisively toward circularity. Reducing waste, improving material efficiency, and adopting regenerative models is no longer optional — it is imperative.”

She noted that CE adoption could save Pakistan $1.5 to 2 billion annually by 2030, primarily by reducing material imports and landfill costs according to the World Bank. Recycling half of the country’s waste could reduce 4 to 5 million tons of CO2 emissions per year, aligning with Pakistan’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.

Speaking about the scope of the Pakistan Sustainability Summit 2025 theme, the founder and Executive Director Devcom-Pakistan Syed Munir Ahmed said: “Pakistan stands at a crucial juncture where economic pressures, rapid urbanization, and climate change intersect. The country’s annual housing shortfall exceeds 400,000 units, while nearly 40 per cent of its urban population lives in informal settlements lacking basic facilities. Meanwhile, the construction and real estate sectors, although major contributors to GDP and employment, are among the largest consumers of natural resources and energy, and major sources of carbon emissions. In this backdrop, the Pakistan Sustainability Summit 2025 aimed to serve as a high-level national platform for knowledge exchange, dialogue, and collaboration among policymakers, builders, architects, engineers, academia, investors, and development organizations.”

Speaking about the strategic directions, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry president Sardar Tahir Mahmood said:  To accelerate progress, three strategic directions are central including institutionalized, transparent, and performance-driven public-private-partnerships to unlock land, capital, and technical resources. Secondly, modernized regulatory and urban planning frameworks integrating risk mapping, resilience, and digital compliance systems, and finally climate-responsive development models—as advocated by UN-Habitat—making adaptive designs and materials the national standard. He said ICCI pledges to facilitate constructive dialogue between policymakers and private stakeholders, promote sustainable practices within industry, support climate-responsive innovation, and enhance adoption of globally aligned environmental and quality standards. We believe Islamabad can serve as a regional model for climate-smart urbanization through coordinated partnerships and evidence-driven planning.

Waseem Hayat Bajwa, Chief Executive Pakistan Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (PIDCL) and Director General of the Public–Private Wing at the Ministry of Housing and Works, highlighted the government’s renewed commitment to mainstreaming sustainable housing infrastructure across Pakistan.

He said the Ministry is steering a coordinated national effort to promote climate-resilient construction, energy-efficient building standards, and affordable green housing models that support both economic resilience and environmental stewardship.

He emphasized that initiatives led by PIDCL are focused on integrating sustainability into policy, planning, and implementation frameworks to ensure that future housing developments meet global sustainability benchmarks while addressing the country’s growing urban and climate challenges.

Speaking at the 2nd Pakistan Sustainability Summit 2025, Hamid Mumtaz Khan, Deputy Programme Manager UN-Habitat Pakistan, emphasized the urgent need for sustainable, climate-resilient housing as the country faces rising climate risks, rapid urbanization, and a severe housing deficit.

He thanked DEVCOM for convening the summit at a crucial time and highlighted UN-Habitat’s role in advancing the New Urban Agenda and SDGs to promote inclusive, safe, and resilient cities. With more than 4.5 million houses damaged since 2005 and over USD 9 billion in losses, Pakistan must prioritize climate-smart housing solutions, improve building performance, adopt the National Housing Policy 2025, integrate nature-based solutions, and address water scarcity to prevent further social and economic impacts.

He stressed that sustainable housing is essential for meeting Pakistan’s climate commitments and urged participants to develop actionable, context-specific recommendations to guide a resilient and inclusive urban future.