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Danish experts warn that green energy could result in significant socioeconomic divides for Pakistan.
The government-to-government and peer-to-peer cooperation between Pakistan and Denmark for Pakistan’s transition to green energy is progressing gradually but steadily, and the Danish side has offered the Pakistani government and the stakeholders all-out assistance for the accomplishment of the country’s green energy targets.
In order to share their knowledge and offer technical support, Danish energy experts have been in constant contact with the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), National Transmission & Despatch Company (NTDC), Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB), and policymakers in this regard, thanks to the assistance of the Danish Embassy in Islamabad.
In an exclusive interview with Pakistan Observer, Assar Qureshi, the Regional Energy Counsellor for Denmark in Asia, and Nadeem Nawaz, Special Adviser Danish Energy Agency (DEA), emphasized the importance of this cooperation and argued that if Pakistan met its green energy goals, such as obtaining 30 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030 (it currently has a 4 percent share), it would be able to address the majority of its energy challenges, such as extended power outages, high carbon emissions,
According to Assar, his responsibility was to strategically manage the government-to-government programs across Asia and explore for potential synergies from the Danish side. I’m here to help Pakistan make the shift to a greener economy utilizing Danish experiences, he declared.
The Danish Energy Agency has successfully launched projects in Asian nations like Japan, South Korea, China, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia that are focused on long-term energy planning, integration of renewables, energy system enhancement, and energy efficiency, he said, adding that “in all these areas we have worked for the last many decades in Denmark.”
According to him, a long-term and stable legislative framework is crucial to lowering the cost of renewable energy projects over time and increasing their competitiveness. Pakistan can learn from the Danish experience in this regard.