Activists Urge Decentralised Energy Policy for Sindh at Climate Conference

Credible Post Report
KARACHI,3:November Climate and civil society activists have called for a decentralised energy policy for Sindh, stressing the need to ensure equitable access to electricity, protect the rights of local communities and prioritise renewable energy projects in areas facing energy shortages.
The demand was raised during the two-day Sindh Energy and Climate Conference, which brought together policymakers, energy experts, climate activists, civil society representatives and communities affected by fossil fuel projects at a local hotel in Karachi.
The conference was organised by Sath, Climate Action Centre (CAC) Karachi, Civil Society Support Programme, Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation, The Knowledge Forum (TKF), Indus Consortium and Pakistan Research Institute for Energy and Development (PRIED).
The event featured 10 sessions covering energy access, climate justice, the transition away from fossil fuels, decentralisation of energy distribution, wind and solar power adoption, zero-emission transport and climate finance.
Addressing the inaugural session, CAC Director Yasir Darya said Sindh supplied electricity to a significant part of the country but lacked an effective provincial energy policy of its own. He thanked community leaders from across Sindh, particularly those from areas without electricity, for attending the conference to highlight their concerns.
During a subsequent session, climate and civil society activist Zain called for decentralisation of energy distribution to reduce risks and ensure that underserved communities benefited from energy investments.
He said the Sindh Electric Power Regulatory Authority (SEPRA) had initiated consultations on microgrids for underserved areas, adding that decentralised systems could provide practical solutions to energy access challenges.
Referring to a proposed investment of Rs70 billion in electricity generation, he stressed that future investment should prioritise decentralised energy infrastructure rather than remain concentrated in large conventional power-generation projects.
Panelist Zenia Shaukat highlighted energy inequality and the limited participation of women in economic activities. She said Sindh was rich in energy resources but continued to face widespread poverty, citing an overall poverty rate of 29 per cent and rural poverty of 42 per cent.
She also drew attention to the large number of out-of-school children, child stunting, deteriorating agricultural conditions and increasing rural-to-urban migration, which she said was placing additional pressure on Karachi and Hyderabad.
Pointing to the disparity between energy resources and public access, she said Sindh had 120 of the country’s 150 gas fields, yet many communities continued to face energy shortages. She also highlighted the social and economic consequences of declining household incomes, particularly for women.
Dr Noor Bajair said local communities were frequently excluded from energy-related decision-making. He called for greater transparency and public consultation at the initial stages of major projects, arguing that project documents should be shared with affected communities before implementation.
He also expressed concern that some large-scale energy projects prioritised land acquisition over environmental sustainability and community rights.
Dr Sunil emphasised climate resilience and adaptation, describing the degradation of the Indus Delta as a critical concern. He said intergenerational justice must be considered in energy and climate policies to safeguard the interests of future generations.
Another panelist, Hussain Jarwar of the Indus Consortium, highlighted the lack of accessible climate finance for vulnerable communities. He said the devastating floods of 2010, 2021 and 2022 had inflicted serious economic losses, with the 2022 disaster particularly exposing communities’ vulnerability to climate-induced disasters.
He criticised the limited availability of effective climate-financing mechanisms, saying affected populations should not be forced to rely on soft loans to recover losses and damages caused by disasters.
Jarwar called for a dedicated fund to rehabilitate climate-affected communities and stressed that climate finance must reach local populations through practical and accessible mechanisms. He also referred to concerns over the environmental and social consequences of development projects financed by multilateral institutions.
Meanwhile, representatives of the corporate sector attending the conference urged the government to formulate a community-support policy for populations living near industrial projects, ensuring that neighbouring communities also benefited from industrial development.