Pakistan is ranked as one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations – a position that has pushed the country to implement an incredible number of green initiatives in recent years, all in a bid to make it more resilient in the face of climate change.

Now, Pakistan has turned its green ambitions into reality by achieving the incredible milestone of meeting the criteria for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13, ten years ahead of the deadline. The goal calls on nations to take urgent action against climate change and its effects.

Malik Amin Aslam, advisor to the Prime Minister on climate change, said the achievement is the result of Pakistan’s continuous efforts and initiatives to drive meaningful climate action. These include large-scale afforestation, biodiversity conservation, investments in renewable energy, and electric vehicle infrastructure, as well as the creation of green jobs.

A major initiative that has contributed to the country’s fulfillment of SDG 13 is the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Project – a nationwide project launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan to reforest degraded land across the country by planting 10 billion trees over a 5-year span.

What’s more, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country announced a Green Stimulus package to protect nature while offering green jobs to ‘guardians of nature’, a move that was highly acclaimed by global conservationists.