TI stressed on accountability in climate governance to avail the benefits from Carbon Credits.

Hyderabad, 03 March 2025: Transparency International Pakistan hosted Stakeholders Consultation Meeting on Strengthening Inclusion and Integrity in Provincial Climate Governance Frameworks. The discussion centered on enhancing transparency, inclusivity, and accountability in climate governance, with a particular focus on the emerging carbon market frameworks in Pakistan.

The consultation highlighted that Pakistan has enormous potential for carbon market projects, with an estimated 100 million tons of CO₂ credits generating potentially more than $500 million in economic opportunity. The Ministry of Climate Change & Environmental Coordination highlighted that the high accreditation costs and the absence of national accrediting agencies pose significant challenges to market accessibility. Efforts are currently underway to establish local accreditation bodies to streamline the certification process. Additionally, carbon credit transactions require government authorization to ensure compliance, transparency, and integrity in the market. It was highlighted that there are integrity risks in Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCM) and Pakistan must ensure high integrity and high-quality credits to maintain the trust and confidence of different stakeholders.

The consultation was attended by the CSOs from climate vulnerable districts across the province. The civil society highlighted that while Sindh has many potential carbon credit projects, there is a need to ensure community participation and oversight. The consultation highlighted the lack of comprehensive and effective whistleblower protection law in the province. Despite Pakistan’s commitments to combating corruption under UNCAC, whistleblowers often face retaliation and intimidation for exposing wrongdoing. The CSOs urged the provincial government of Sindh to prioritize the enactment of a robust provincial whistleblower protection law that guarantees the anonymity and safety of whistleblowers and enact the Conflict of Interest Act in line with the International Code of Conduct for Public Officials. This will reinforce Pakistan’s commitment to transparency and accountability in climate governance.